Seynabou Sakho is the Director of Strategy and Operations for the World Bank Office of the Managing Director of Operations, effective April 3, 2023. In this position, she manages the daily operations of the MDO, works with Vice Presidents and Regions to ensure Bank operating models continue to meet the needs of our client countries, and leads the coordination and delivery of the Bank's operations strategy and related work programs.
Ms. Sakho previously worked as the Director of Strategy and Operations for Latin America and the Caribbean from 2020 to 2023. Here she supported the Vice President in defining and implementing the strategic vision for the Bank while overseeing Bank relations with 31 countries. In response to COVID-19, Ms. Sakho was a key player in coordinating client support to mobilize $1.6 billion for affordable and equitable vaccine deployment through 13 regional operations. Furthermore, she established a regional working group on Food and Fuel Prices in the region to better provide short-term support while helping them be better prepared to manage evolving challenges.
Ms. Sakho also worked as the Country Director for Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama), where she oversaw the programs, research and funding of the six nations. In this role, she led an outreach initiative with the Afro community in Central America. She was invited to the Nairobi Summit on Advancing the Rights of People of African Descent, organized by UNFPA in November 2019 for her leadership and advocacy of this agenda.
Originally from Senegal, Ms. Sakho joined the World Bank in 2004. She has held several positions with the Bank, including as an economist for Brazil, Jamaica and Bolivia, an economic advisor to the Operations Policy and Country Services Unit, and an advisor to the Managing Director’s Office. Additionally, she served as manager of Macroeconomics and Fiscal Management for East and Central Africa covering 25 countries.
Ms. Sakho earned a Ph.D. and MA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Moreover, she has a MSc in Finance and Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a MSc in Statistics and Economics from the Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Economie (ENSAE). Lastly, she has authored and co-authored several publications on economic growth, private-sector development, and the effect of financial restrictions on small and medium-sized enterprises.