Business Ready (B-READY)

Norman Loayza is Director of the Global Indicators Group at the World Bank. Previously, he was a Lead Economist in the Development Research Group and managed the Asia hub of the Research Group, based in Malaysia. He was director of the World Development Report 2014, Risk and Opportunity: Managing Risk for Development. His research has dealt with various areas of economic and social development, including macroeconomic management, economic growth, microeconomic flexibility, private and public saving, financial depth and stability, natural disasters, and crime and violence. His advisory experience at the World Bank has also ranged across different topics in various regions and countries. A few examples include business environment and economic performance in Latin America; informal and formal labor markets in the Middle East and Northern Africa; public infrastructure gaps in Pakistan and Egypt; savings for macroeconomic stability and growth in Sri Lanka, Georgia, and Egypt; and pro-poor growth in Indonesia and Peru. On external service from the World Bank, he was a Senior Economist at the Central Bank of Chile (1999-2000), where he advised on financial and monetary policy. Norman has edited 10 books and published dozens of papers in professional journals and edited volumes. A Peruvian national, he holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University (1994).

Valeria Perotti is the Manager of the Business Ready unit. She joined the team in December 2019, after holding several positions within the World Bank. As a Senior Economist with the Enterprise Surveys team, she led the implementation of the survey in several countries in East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, and she analyzed firm-level productivity in conjunction with skills and training issues. Valeria also worked in the former Human Development Network of the World Bank, where she managed the Russia Trust Fund survey to develop methods for measuring financial capability. Before joining the World Bank in 2010, Valeria worked on the design and analysis of labor force surveys at ISFOL in Italy. She holds a PhD in Econometrics and Empirical Economics from Tor Vergata University in Rome, and her research has focused on firm productivity, skills, labor market regulations, informality, life expectancy and applied microeconometrics. She speaks Italian.

Santiago Croci Downes is a Supervisor for the newly created Business Ready Project. Previously he was the Program Manager of Doing Business, from October 2017 to November 2019 and led the production of a few editions of the joint World Bank-IFC Doing Business Study. Beforehand he oversaw the Stakeholders Engagement component of Doing Business. Prior to that, he led the Getting Credit - Legal Rights indicator. Before joining the team, Mr. Croci worked on an insolvency and creditor rights initiative at the Legal Vice-Presidency of the World Bank Group. He also worked on development issues at the Competitiveness Capacity Building Initiative of the Organization of American States. Mr. Croci holds a law degree in corporate law from Montpellier I University (Montpellier, France) and a master's degree in international law from Paul Cézanne University (Aix-en-Provence, France). Mr. Croci speaks French and Spanish.

Charlotte Nan Jiang is a Senior Economist in the Global Indicators Group of the Development Economics Vice-Presidency. She joined the World Bank in 2008 and has held various roles since then. Charlotte advises on the Global Indicators Group’s programs and operations, including the World Bank Group’s flagships on the global business environment and women’s economic empowerment, as well as the world’s most comprehensive enterprise surveys. She also supervised the World Bank Group’s former flagship Doing Business project. Before joining the World Bank, Charlotte worked in Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking. A Chinese national, Charlotte holds an M.Sc. in Management Science (Economics and Finance) from Stanford University and B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from Nanyang Technological University.

Trimor Mici is a Senior Operations Officer in the Global Indicators Group of the Development Economics Vice-Presidency. He has been leading research work and managing business regulation assessment projects across the globe for more than a decade. Currently he has a dual role supervising the taxation team for the Business Ready project and managing projects for the Business Ready Regional (BRR) unit. He joined the World Bank in 2008 working at the Investment Climate Department. Trimor holds an MBA in finance and investments from the George Washington University in Washington DC, where he was a recipient of the Global Leaders Fellowship, and a BA in business administration and finance from the American University in Bulgaria. Previously, he worked for the press office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe mission in Kosovo. A Kosovan national, Trimor speaks Albanian and Bulgarian.

Valentina Saltane is a Sr. Private Sector Development Specialist at DECIG where she works for the Business Ready project. Ms. Saltane primarily supervises Market Competition, International Trade and Labor topics. Ms. Saltane held team leader (TTL) positions in several other initiatives, including Doing Business in Agriculture, Actionable Regulatory Indicators in the European Union, Migration and the Law, and Global Indicators of Regulatory Governance projects. In addition, she co-authored three Access to Finance reports, an OGP report on Good Governance, Sweden’s Business Climate reports, Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy report and seven research papers on the subjects of business regulation, capital markets and access to finance. Before joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Saltane worked at the Law and Economic Consulting Group in New York City and prior to that she was a program coordinator at the World Resources Institute in Washington D.C. Ms. Saltane holds an MPA with a concentration in economic development from the Cornell University. She is fluent in Russian, Latvian, Spanish and is proficient in French.

Maria Magdalena (Maika) Chiquier, Private Sector Development Specialist at the World Bank, focuses on research and recommendations related to the business climate reforms in order to facilitate private sector development. Her most recent focus is on evaluating legal and regulatory framework for refugees in selected countries and Business Insolvency in the new Business Ready project (replacing Doing Business). Prior to joining the Doing Business team, she worked in the IFC (World Bank) Legal Department. She was seconded to the European Stability Mechanism, a bail-out fund in Luxembourg in the years 2012-2013 where she worked on post-financial crisis corporate governance methodology for banks in distress. Before joining IFC/WB, she also practiced law at Clifford Chance and White & Case law firms and is admitted to the New York Bar. 

Marie Lily Delion joined the team in 2003 and currently serves as a member of the Business Location Topic within the Business Ready Team. She is responsible for overseeing the Knowledge Management components of the Report. Previously, Ms. Delion led the Registering Property and the Dealing with Construction Permits indicators of the Doing Business Report. With a total of 6 years working at the World Bank Group Institute, Ms. Delion possesses extensive experience in the organization. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and an MBA from the University of Maryland University College. Prior to joining the World Bank Group in 1999, Ms. Delion worked for Siemens in Cameroon and KPMG in New Caledonia. Ms. Delion speaks French. 

Nadine DiMonte is a Regulatory Specialist in the World Bank’s Development Economics vice-presidency. She leads the development of the team’s essential documents such as the Manual and Guide, Methodology Handbook, and Policy and Procedure Framework. Ms. DiMonte joined the World Bank in 2013 and has extensively worked on the regulatory framework analysis of the business environment in countries globally. Her work focused mainly on corporate governance and secured transactions. Ms. DiMonte holds an LLM in Corporate Law from Cornell Law School and a Bachelor of Laws in French Law and Lebanese Law from Saint Joseph University. Ms. DiMonte is a member of the New York Bar Association. Before joining the World Bank Group, Ms. DiMonte worked as an associate in the corporate and banking department at law firms in the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. Ms. DiMonte is fluent in French and Arabic.

Viktoriya Ereshchenko joined the Global Indicators Group in March 2018 and currently leads the development of the new indicators on Utility Services for the Business Ready project. She previously led the Getting Electricity indicator within the Doing Business project and worked on Reform Committee project. She worked in Malaysia hub of Global Indicators Group and is currently based in Washington DC. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Ereshchenko was involved in a research project funded by the World Bank Group on ‘Deep Trade Agreements’, for which she co-authored a research paper on Government Procurement. She also worked as a Research Assistant with the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Previously, Ms. Ereshchenko worked for a consulting firm in New Delhi, India, on international development issues; she also worked with international organizations in Geneva in the field of international trade and economics. Ms. Ereshchenko holds a master’s in international law and Economics from the World Trade Institute in Switzerland, and she also holds a Master’s Degree in International trade from Saint Petersburg State University in Russia. Ms. Ereshchenko speaks Russian. 

Subika Farazi is an Economist in the World Bank’s Development Economics vice-presidency and leads the area of Financial Services within the Business Ready project. Subika’s work has covered areas including financial sector analysis and diagnostics, financial deepening, and financial inclusion. She has covered these and other topics through publications of articles and reports as well as through participation in numerous country policy engagements, including several IMF - World Bank Financial Sector Assessment Program missions (FSAPs).  Subika has extensively worked in South Asia and Middle East and North Africa and regions. Subika completed her undergraduate studies from Pakistan and holds a PhD in Economics from the George Washington University.

Dorina Georgieva is an Economist with the Business Ready project of the World Bank’s Development Economics vice-presidency, where she leads the Labor Topic. She has over 10 years of experience leading new projects and research in the area of private sector development, international trade, and jobs, including Doing Business, Employing Workers, Business Reform Committees. She holds a Master's degree in international relations and economics from Johns Hopkins University. Dorina has also studied entrepreneurship, business, and governance in Babson College, UC Berkeley, and Harvard University. She has also attended programs on international development in India, China and Russia. Before joining the World Bank Group, Dorina worked for the United Nations Development Program in Istanbul, the Institute of International Studies in New York, and the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Shanghai. Dorina speaks Bulgarian, Russian, and French, and is conversant in Chinese and Turkish. 

Marina Kayumova is a Private Sector Development Specialist in the Global Indicators Group of the Development Economics Vice-Presidency. She joined the World Bank in 2015 and worked on a variety of projects since then. Marina is currently leading Digital Adoption theme and supports the conceptual development of innovation indicators. She has an extensive experience in digital economy and development, innovation and entrepreneurship, digital agriculture, and private sector development. Marina also coordinated the production of flagship reports. Before joining the World Bank Group, Marina was a Research Fellow at George Washington University. Previously she worked for GSM Association in London and European Parliament in Brussels. She holds a Master of Philosophy in Innovation, Strategy and Organization from the University of Cambridge, UK and a Master in Advanced European Studies and International Relations from the European Institute, France. Marina speaks French and Russian and is conversant in Spanish.

Klaus Koch-Saldarriaga supervises the Dialogue with Governments and Communications teams in the Business Ready Project, leads the Business Insolvency topic working group and coordinated the public consultation of the Business Ready Concept Note. Before joining Business Ready team he lead the interactions with governments for the Doing Business report, and led the Resolving Insolvency and the Labor indicator teams. He worked in the Citizen Engagement in Rulemaking project in the Global Indicators Department. Klaus holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from UC Berkeley, attended the Harvard University negotiation program and holds a law degree from Javeriana University in Colombia (graduated with honors). Prior to joining the World Bank Group, he was a Counselor (Diplomat) at the Embassy of Colombia in the United States, where he coordinated the working relationship with U.S. Congress for the approval of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. He also worked as in-house lawyer at Business Association of Colombia (ANDI), and the law firms Heuking Kühn in Germany and DG&A in Colombia. He speaks Spanish and is conversant in German.

Raman Maroz leads the Dispute Resolution topic of the Business Ready project, working on the design and implementation of indicators related to court litigation and alternative dispute resolution. He previously was in charge of the Enforcing Contracts indicator and contributed to the Resolving Insolvency topic in Doing Business. Raman also co-led the team’s work on data update submissions by stakeholders. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, he clerked at the Constitutional Court of Belarus and worked for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Raman holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Notre Dame Law School where he was a Fulbright scholar, a Law degree from the Belarusian State University, and a University degree in Political Science and European Studies from the Université Montesquieu - Bordeaux IV. Raman speaks Belarusian, French, and Russian.

Nuno Mendes dos Santos leads the International Trade topic of the Business Ready project, working on the design and implementation of indicators on trade in goods, trade in services and digital trade. He previously worked on the Trading across Borders and the Contracting with the Government topics within the Doing Business project. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Nuno had worked in the private sector, serving as the International Coordinator and the Marketing and Sales Executive at two global firms, where he was responsible for emerging markets. He holds a Master's degree in Global Political Economy from the University of Kassel, Germany, focusing on the political economy of financial regulation in European sports, and a Licentiate Degree (with honors) in Political Science and International Relations from the New University of Lisbon, Portugal. Nuno has lived in four continents and is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, and conversant in Catalan, French, Italian and Turkish.

Albert Nogués i Comas leads the Market Competition topic of the Business Ready project, working on the design and implementation of indicators on competition law, public procurement, and intellectual property rights and innovation ecosystems. He previously led the Contracting with the Government indicator within the Doing Business project. Albert holds an LLM in International and European Law from the University of Amsterdam, and a double degree in Law and Economics from the University Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. Prior to joining the Doing Business team, Albert practiced law for five years as an administrative lawyer in Barcelona, including three years in Garrigues law firm covering areas such as Urban Planning, Public Procurement and Competition law. He also spent four months at the European Union Delegation to the United States in Washington DC, focusing on international trade relations.

Nadia Novik is the Topic Lead of the Taxation team within the Business Ready project at the World Bank. Prior to her current role, she led the Financial Services team in the same project at the time of its initial development. Mrs. Novik joined the World Bank in 2013, working on the Doing Business project, where she covered the Starting a Business and the Paying Taxes Indicators before taking on the role of leading the Getting Credit – Credit Information indicator. Before joining the World Bank, Mrs. Novik worked at PwC as a Tax Consultant specializing in international taxation and structuring. She also interned at the Department of International Relations of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine, where she gained valuable experience in the field of international business. Mrs. Novik holds a Master's degree in International Business Management and a Bachelor's degree in International Economics from the Kyiv National Economic University. She has also completed a course on circular economy at the WageningenX and a series of statistics and computer programming classes at the Harvard Extension School, demonstrating her commitment to ongoing professional development. Mrs. Novik is fluent in Ukrainian, Italian, Russian, and is conversant in German and Spanish.

Jayashree Srinivasan is a Regulatory Specialist in the Business Ready Project of World Bank’s Development Economics Vice Presidency. Jayashree leads a team measuring land administration and urban planning aspects related to the business environment. Jayashree has extensive experience in  business climate measurement and advising government and policy makers on improving business climate and enabling environment through regulatory reforms. Jayashree has developed several new indicators in the areas of infrastructure and energy access and digital access, climate friendly building codes. Her research and advisory work have focused on competitiveness, business regulation, energy access and construction sector regulatory challenges, including supporting clients in identifying and prioritizing reform areas. She possesses strong communication and analytical skills and ability to build and maintain relationships and conduct policy dialogue with governments, donors and WBG partners. Jayashree holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Delhi University. 

Inés Zabalbeita Múgica leads the Business Entry topic of the newly created Business Ready report, working on the design and implementation of indicators on business start-up laws, incorporation related services and efficiency of the entry process. She previously led the Trading across Borders indicator within the Doing Business project. Prior to this, she worked in private sector development at the Investment Climate Advisory Services Department of the World Bank Group and at the Economic Office of the Spanish Embassy in the United States. Ms. Zabalbeita Múgica holds an MBA from the International University Menéndez Pelayo and a Licentiate Degree in Business Management from the University of the Basque Country and the Catholic University of Leuven. She speaks Spanish.

Elodie Bataille joined the Global Indicators Group in March 2018. She currently works for the Business Location indicator and Environment working group for the Business Ready report. Previously she was working for the Registering Property indicator since February 2020 within the Doing Business team. Prior to her role in designing environment indicators, she covered the credit information indicator. Elodie holds master's in business economics from the INSEEC Business School in France, and a master's in Public Policy from Sciences Po Grenoble, where she focused on international economics and political sciences. She earned a Bachelor of Law and Administration from the Université de Savoie in France. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Elodie held various positions with international organizations such as the Organization of States and most recently at the Inter-American Development Bank where she primarily worked on social security, labor markets, financial inclusion, and fiscal issues. Elodie speaks French, Spanish, and Portuguese. 

Liliya Bulgakova is a Private Sector Development analyst in the Global Indicators Group of the Development Economics Vice-Presidency. She is currently working on the Business Entry topic and previously designed the Labor topic indicators for the Business Ready project. Liliya joined the World Bank Group in 2018. Prior to her work on the Business Ready project, she was a member of the Employing Workers indicator team of the Doing Business report and the Reform Committee project. Liliya also co-led the production of flagship Doing Business reports. Before joining the World Bank, Liliya worked for international law firms in Washington, D.C., where she specialized in corporate governance and compliance investigations. Earlier in her career, she worked as an in-house attorney specializing in government contracting. Liliya earned a Masters of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Studies from American University Washington College of Law, with a focus on corporate finance, and is admitted to practice law in New York and Washington, D.C. She also holds a J.D. from Bashkir State University (Russia) and is fluent in Russian and conversant in French.

Kamal Clark-Chakaroun joined the Global Indicators Group in January 2019. He currently works on the Financial Services topic and leads the Data Management Design team for the new Business Ready project. Previously, he worked on business climate and regulations assessments, focusing on the efficiency and transparency of the construction permitting systems and promoting areas for reforms. Before joining the World Bank, he was a Programs Associate with a non-profit in Washington DC, developing and managing livelihood programs in Iraq, and served as a Deputy Finance Coordinator and Administration Manager with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in the Central African Republic and Niger, respectively. He has also worked as an Investment Advisor at the Arab Finance Corporation in Lebanon. Kamal holds a MA degree in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, in addition to a MA in Financial Assets Management and a BA in Business Administration from Saint Joseph University in Beirut. He is fluent in Arabic and French.

Cyriane Coste is a private sector development analyst in the Global Indicators Group at the Development Economics Vice-Presidency. Cyriane currently leads the cross-cutting topic on sustainable environment within the Business Ready project and also contribute to the labor topic. Cyriane oversees the communication of the Business Ready project and is part of the Data Management Design team. She joined the World Bank in 2016. She holds a Master of Law (LL.M) in International Business and Economics Law from Georgetown University Law Center. She is a New York State attorney and was also admitted to the Paris bar. Previously, Cyriane also worked on the Doing Business report, the Entrepreneurship database project as well as the Enabling the Business of Agriculture report. Before joining the World Bank Group, Cyriane worked in an international trade law firm in Washington, DC and practiced corporate law in Paris. She speaks French and Spanish.

Varun Eknath joined the Global Indicators Group in March 2016 and currently works on the International Trade topic for the new Business Ready project. His work focuses on business regulation reforms, investment promotion, bankruptcy and international trade. Previously, he co-led the Business Reform Committee project and worked for the Doing Business project on issues of corporate governance and shareholder rights. Varun holds a Master’s degree in Law and Economics (MILE) from the World Trade Institute (WTI), Bern, Switzerland and a degree in law from National Law University, Delhi, India. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Varun practiced law in India and worked for the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) in Geneva, and the WTI in Bern. His research has focused on international trade policy, government procurement and business regulatory reforms. An Indian national, Varun speaks Hindi and is conversant in French and Russian.

Sarah leads the cross-cutting topic on gender within the Business Ready project. She also leads the team’s engagement with stakeholders and is part of the team measuring land administration and urban planning aspects related to the business environment. Sarah’s experience focuses on measuring and improving the business climate, with a focus on female entrepreneurs, having worked in the past in the Women Financial Economic Initiative Data Project. Sarah holds a master’s in international Relations and Development Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. She speaks French, Spanish and Arabic.

Iryna Lagodna joined the Global Indicators Group in February 2018 and currently works on the International Trade topic of the Business Ready project. Previously, she covered international trade regulations and trade facilitation for the Doing Business project. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Iryna worked on the topics of entrepreneurship and early-stage investing at a Brussels-based European trade association, and on sustainable energy policies and projects at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Geneva. She holds a Master's degree in European Economic Studies, specialized in European Economic Integration and Business, from College of Europe (Belgium) as well as a Master’s degree in Marketing and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (Ukraine). She speaks Ukrainian, Czech, French, and Russian. 

Ricardo Maia joined the Global Indicators Group in April 2021 and currently works on the Business Entry topic of the Business Ready (B-READY) project. Previously, he was part of the team responsible for the Starting a Business indicator within Doing Business and the Entrepreneurship database project. Prior to joining the World Bank, Ricardo worked in both the private and international public sectors with experience in entrepreneurship, data analysis, project management, public policy, and research. He holds a Master’s degree in International Development from IE University (Spain) and a Bachelor in Economics from the University of Porto (Portugal). Ricardo speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish and Tetum.

Enrique Orellana joined the Global Indicators Group in May of 2017. He currently works on the Utility Services topic of Business Ready project, focusing on digital infrastructure, as well as on the Knowledge for Change Program ‘Green Building’ project. Previously Enrique worked on the Dealing with Construction Permits indicator of the Doing Business project as well as in the Digital Business Indicators initiative and was based in the WBG’s Malaysia country office. Prior joining the World Bank he worked at the Interamerican Development Bank producing research on regulatory enablers for infrastructure and private sector development. Enrique holds a master’s degree in International Business and Commerce from Georgetown University and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de Mexico. Enrique is fluent in Spanish and French and is conversant in Portuguese. 

Oleksandra (Sasha) Popova joined the Global Indicators Group in 2018. Her work is focused on private sector development, dispute resolution, and taxation. She also worked on designing public procurement indicators and assisted the team in obtaining a new global dataset on the business reform committees. Prior to joining the World Bank, Sasha worked for a law firm in Ukraine, where she specialized in corporate law. She holds a Master of Laws degree in Taxation from the University of Washington and a Master of Laws degree from Kyiv State University. Sasha is fluent in Ukrainian and Russian.

Judith Trasancos joined the Global Indicators Group in January 2018. She worked designing the Contracting with the Government indicator and also contributed to Registering Property within the Doing Business team. She currently works for the Market Competition indicator for the Business Ready report and she also helped to develop some areas of the International Trade indicator. Judith holds a Master’s in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Diplomatic School of Spain and another Master’s in International Relations from the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals (IBEI). Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Judith held various positions working for the Catalan and Spanish governments in New York and Washington D.C., focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the work of the UN. Judith speaks Spanish, Catalan, Galician, French, Italian and is well-versed in Arabic.

Yulia Valerio joined the Global Indicators Group in January 2018. She currently designs arbitration and litigation indicators as part of the Dispute Resolution working group. Yulia previously worked on the Getting Credit – Legal Rights indicator within the Doing Business project in 2018–2021 and the Arbitrating Commercial Disputes indicator within the IFC’s Investing Across Borders project in 2009–2010. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, she practiced litigation in the US, international arbitration in France, and project finance and international dispute resolution in the Dominican Republic. Yulia holds a Masters of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Studies from American University Washington College of Law and a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in New York and Washington, DC. She speaks Russian and is fluent in Spanish.

Tiffany Rongpeng Yang joined the Global Indicators Group in February 2018. She currently works on the International Trade topic and leads the development of website for the Business Ready project. Previously, she covered the Trading across Borders indicator within the Doing Business project. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Tiffany worked for the People’s Bank of China, where she primarily focused on financial regulatory policy. She has also interned with two commercial banks, working on cross-border transactions and credit risk assessments, respectively. Tiffany holds a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University and received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She speaks Chinese.

Gustavo Zanabria joined the Global Indicators Group in March 2020. He currently works on the Taxation topic and used to work on the International Trade topic of the Business Ready project. Previously, he worked on the Trading across Border topic and Paying Taxes topic for the former Global and the Subnational Doing Business Units, respectively. Prior to joining the World Bank group, Gustavo worked at the Inter-American Development Bank where he focused on the areas of regulatory policy and digital government. He was also public servant at the Ministry of Economy of Finance of the Government of Peru where he worked in the areas of trade facilitation and customs. He holds a Master of Arts in Economics and a Master in Public Administration from Syracuse University as well as a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of the Pacific. He speaks Spanish, Portuguese and is conversant in French.

Marie Ndiaye Lixi joined the Global Indicators Group in May 2011 as Senior Program Assistant. In addition to overseeing the administrative work program of the unit and being a team member of the Stakeholders Engagement and Website Functions, Marie  also maintains the B-READY project contact directory database. Before joining the Business Ready Unit, Marie worked as a Program Assistant in the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) for four years, where she supported the team responsible for assessing the relevance, efficacy and efficiency of human development projects of the World Bank across the five regions. Marie's previous professional experiences also include eight years in Operations in the Agriculture and Environment Department of the Africa Region, most of which were as a Trust Coordinator and Portfolio Monitoring Coordinator. She participated in several projects preparation, negotiations, supervision and completion missions in eight African countries. Marie earned her Associate's degree in Bilingual Secretarial Studies from the Institution Immaculée Conception in Senegal. Marie  speaks French and has conversational skills in Spanish.

Taylor Boyce joined the Global Indicators Group in December 2022. He currently works in the department’s Front Office where he provides research support to the Director, as well as the Business Ready and Women, Business and the Law projects. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked in the Parliamentary Office of a British MP, conducted a Capstone project on the Iraqi credit sector for the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, and interned at several UK-based think tanks. Taylor holds an MSc in Economics and a BSc in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the London School of Economics.

Nourhan Abdellatif joined the Global Indicators Group in April 2023 and currently works on the International Trade topic of the B-Ready project. Prior to joining the World Bank, Nourhan held various positions with diverse national and international trade development institutions, where she primarily worked on international market research, market entry consultancy, policy analysis, and export promotion. Nourhan holds a master’s degree in international trade strategy and operations from the University of Warwick and received her BSc Economics and Public Administration from Cairo University. She speaks Arabic and is conversant in French.

Ritula Anand joined the Global Indicators Group in April 2023 to manage the CRM function of the Business Ready Project. She previously worked as the Chief Marketing Officer of an Education-technology startup that supports student outreach, onboarding, learning, and retention in developing regions. She was also the Client Operations Lead for a public relations firm in India and a communications consultant in Japan. Ms. Anand completed her MicroMasters Program in Data, Economics and Development Policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She also holds a Bachelors in Biotechnology and speaks Hindi and Punjabi.

Nurana Ahmadova joined the Global Indicators Group in May 2023 to work on the Business Entry indicator of the Business Ready project. Prior to that, she worked as a Business Intelligence Analyst at the Bank Degroof Petercam in Belgium. She also worked as a Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Economics, KU Leuven; a Startup Developer at Cleantech, Leuven; and a Business Developer of Virtual and Augmented Reality in Healthcare Start-up, Cronos, Leuven. Nurana holds a Master's degree in European Economics from the College of Europe, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from KU Leuven in Belgium. She speaks Azerbaijani, French, Russian, and Turkish.

Youmna Al Hourani joined the Development Economics Vice Presidency in January 2019. Since then, her focus has been on the intersection between private sector development and energy regulations. She currently works on the Utility Services topic of the Business Ready project. Previously, Youmna worked on the Getting Electricity indicator of the Doing Business study and provided support to Enterprise Analysis and Subnational in the UAE. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Youmna worked as a project assistant for the National Democratic Institute in Washington DC where she focused on economic and political inclusion of marginalized groups in Lebanon and Iraq. She also held several positions at the International Labor Organization and the United Nations in New York City. Youmna holds a master’s degree in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies from New York University and a bachelor’s in business administration from the American University of Beirut. She is fluent in Arabic and French.

Leoni Ayoub is currently a part of the Market Competition team and was previously a part of the Dispute Resolution team. She joined the Doing Business team in April 2020 as part of the Resolving Insolvency indicator. Leoni holds a PhD in International and European Law from Maastricht University, and previously obtained an LLM in European Law from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and an LLM in Public International Law from the University of Kent. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Leoni worked as a lawyer in private practice in Cyprus, specialising in public and general private law. She has previously worked as a Parliamentary Assistant in the European Parliament in Brussels and as a Legal Assistant at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague. She is a member of the Bar of England and Wales, and the Cyprus Bar. She speaks French and Greek and is conversant in Arabic and Spanish.

Ravneek Kaur Bhullar joined the Global Indicators Group of the World Bank in July 2023 and currently works on the Financial Services topic of the Business Ready project. Previously, she had worked with the Development Economics Trade and International Integration team on the progression of the Services Trade Restrictions database. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ravneek was a Junior Economic Affairs Officer in the Trade in Services and Investment Division of the World Trade Organization. Ravneek holds a Master of International Economics degree from the Geneva Graduate Institute, where she specialized in Macroeconomics and International Finance. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Toronto. She speaks Punjabi and Hindi.

Sophie Jung Ryun Byun joined the Global Indicators Group in July 2023 to work with the Business Location Indicator of the Business Ready project. Prior to the World Bank, she worked closely on AIMM framework, project rating and market assessment to better monitor and measure development impact of each project in the Economics and Private Sector Development VPU at the International Finance Corporation. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Georgetown University and a master’s in international affairs from Columbia University. She speaks Korean and is proficient in Japanese and French.

Victoria Chiseliov joined the Global Indicators Group in October 2022 to work on the  Leveraging Building Energy Codes and Standards for Climate Change Mitigation project, financed by the Knowledge for Change Program and the Business Location Indicator of the Business Ready project. She holds a Master's degree in Economics from the Barcelona School of Economics and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Universitat de Barcelona. Victoria also holds a Certificate in European Affairs from Sciences Po Reims and she completed a series of courses in statistics and development economics at MITx MicroMasters. Victoria has experience in survey management, data cleaning and quantitative spatial data analysis. She speaks Italian, Spanish and Romanian and is conversant in Russian and French.

Milagros Deza-Delgado joined the Global Indicators Group in May 2023, and currently works for the International Trade topic of the Business Ready project. Previously, Milagros held different roles with the World Bank Group between 2011 and 2018, with the latest one as an Economist for the International Development Association (IDA). Prior to rejoining the World Bank, Milagros worked at Santander Consumer Bank in Oslo specializing in risk management and financial regulations. Milagros holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, as well as a Master’s degree in Public Administration and International Development from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Milagros speaks Spanish, and is conversant in French and Norwegian.

Selda Dudu joined the Global Indicators Group in July 2023 as a consultant on the Labor topic within the Business Ready Project under the Global Indicators Group of the Development Economics Vice-Presidency (DECIG). She holds two master’s degrees and a doctoral degree. Selda has a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Middle East Technical University in Turkey, a master’s degree in Labor Economics and Industrial Relations from Gazi University in Turkey, a master’s degree in Labor Sciences from the University of Seville in Spain, and a doctoral degree in Sociology from the University of Seville, where she defended her doctoral thesis entitled “International Labor Migration Determinants: The Case of Turkish Migration to the European Union 2008-2018.” She frequently works on micro and microdata analysis, specifically big survey data. Selda speaks Turkish and Spanish. 

Luisa Daniela Dyer Melhado joined the Global Indicators Group in August 2021 and currently works on the Dispute Resolution topic for the new Business Ready project. Previously, she worked for the Doing Business project as part of the Enforcing Contracts team. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Daniela graduated with a Law and Master’s in International Affairs degree from the George Washington University Law School and the Elliott School of International Affairs. During her studies, she interned for the World Bank Group in the Resolving Insolvency indicator of Doing Business and in the Global Forum on Law, Justice and Development. She also undertook a judicial internship with the Honorable Charles Brower. Daniela is entitled to practice law in the District of Columbia as a member of the Bar. She speaks English and Spanish and is conversant in French.

Miren Escos joined the Global Indicators Group in September 2023 to work on the Taxation topic of the Business Ready project. She previously worked on Financial Integrity and International Taxation units at the World Bank. Prior to that, she worked as a Multilateral Analyst at the Economic Office of the Spanish Embassy in the United States and as a Tax Consultant at Deloitte. Ms. Escos also holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from UNED University and a Double Bachelor in Business Management and Law from Deusto University. She speaks Spanish, Basque and French.

Israel Fierro joined the Global Indicators Group in May 2020 and currently works on the Labor topic for the Business Ready project. Prior to joining the World Bank, Mr. Fierro served as an Economist at the Ministry of Finance of Chile, supporting Chile’s representation with international organizations, and participating in the negotiation of bilateral and multilateral trade agreements in Latin America and East Asia. During his time in the public sector, he was designated as an Advisor for the Latin-American constituency at the Green Climate Fund of the United Nations and a senior official for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC). Mr. Fierro holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where he concentrated on International Finance and Economic Policy. He speaks English and Spanish.

Manuel Galilea joined the Global Indicators Group in May 2022 and currently works on the Financial Services topic of the Business Ready project. Prior to joining the World Bank, Manuel worked as an economist at the Financial Policy Division of the Central Bank of Chile where he specialized in regulatory issues related to banks, payment systems, foreign exchange and fintech companies. Before that, he worked at the Ministry of Finance of Chile where he contributed to develop and implement various financial sector policies. Manuel is an economist from Universidad Católica in Chile and holds a Master in Economic Policy Management from Columbia University. He speaks Spanish.

Ziad Ghandour joined the Global Indicators Group in May 2023 to work on the Market Competition Topic of the Business Ready Project. Prior to that, he is as a postdoctoral researcher at the Catholic University of Portugal and previously worked as an economist at the Portuguese Competition Authority (AdC). Ziad received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Minho in 2022 where he managed to publish all three chapters in well-known peer-reviewed international journals before defending his doctoral thesis entitled “Quality Competition in Regulated Markets”. He also holds a Master of Arts in Economics from the American University of Beirut and a Bachelor of Science from the Lebanese American University. He speaks Arabic and Portuguese.

Diana Guevara-Duque joined the Global Indicators Group in June 2021 and currently works on the Financial Services topic for the new Business Ready project. Previously, she worked for the Doing Business project as part of the Getting Credit - Credit Information indicator. Before joining the World Bank, Diana worked in various Ecuadorian government institutions like the Constitutional Court, Judiciary Council, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility. Diana is also a part-time professor at Universidad Internacional del Ecuador. Diana holds an LLM in International and Comparative Law (Concentration in International Human Rights) from The George Washington University Law School, an MSc in International Public Policy from University College London, and an LLB (lawyer) degree from Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Native Spanish speaker, fluent in English, and conversant in French and Italian.

Tommy Kairuz joined the Development Economics Vice Presidency in 2019 and has been working on the corporate insolvency indicators since then. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Tommy graduated from Duke University School of Law in 2018 and holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree. Tommy completed his legal training in the Corporate/M&A department of several top-tier American law firms in Paris. He speaks French and Arabic.

Rinat Kapev joined the Development Economics Vice-Presidency in May 2023 and currently works on the Business Location topic of the Business Ready (B-READY) project. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked for the FAO of the United Nations, the Center of Psycho-Economic Research, and interned with the World Bank’s Doing Business team. Rinat holds a master’s degree in International Studies from North Carolina State University and a master's degree in Economics from the Russian Presidential Academy. During his master’s program at NC State, he also attended an inter-institutional program at Duke University’s Center for International Development, where he specialized in international development policy. Rinat is the recipient of the Fulbright, Edmund S. Muskie, Presidential, Governor's, British Petroleum, Erasmus, and DAAD scholarships. He speaks Russian, Tatar, and Spanish.

Natallia Karkanitsa joined the Global Indicators Group in May 2023 to work on the Business Insolvency indicator of the Business Ready project. Prior to that, she led data management, monitoring, and results reporting for Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus. Previously, she - was a Sr. Lecturer at Belarusian State University. Ms. Karkanitsa holds a Master’s degree in Law and a Bachelor’s degree in International Law from the Belarusian State University as well as a Master’s degree in European and International Law from the University of Bordeaux, France. She is an alumnus of the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship at the American University Washington College of Law, during which she also interned at the American Bar Association and Law Library of Congress. Natallia speaks Belarusian, Russian, and French.

Seoyeon Kim joined the Global Indicators Group of the Development Economics Vice Presidency in June 2023 and currently works for the Business Location team of the Business Ready project. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Seoyeon worked at the OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Directorate as a policy analyst. She also worked as a project assistant for the UNDP team based in Togo and Zambia. Seoyeon holds a Master of International Economic Policy from Sciences Po Paris, and she also holds a bachelor's degree in Politics and Government from the same school. She speaks French and Korean.

Maimouna Konate joined the Global Indicators Group in July 2023 to work on the International Trade indicator of the Business Ready project. Before that, she worked as a Research Assistant for the Center for Global Development in the US. Previously, she worked a Program Coordinator for the China Yunhong Holdings Group in Beijing. Maimouna holds a master’s degree in international law and economics from the World Trade Institute at the University of Bern in Switzerland. She completed her BA in International Economics at Beijing University of International Business and Economics. Maimouna speaks Chinese, French and Bambara.

Nghia-Piotr Le joined Global Indicators Group in the July 2023 as an STC Stata analyst in the data team. Prior to this he was IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department, Expenditure Policy’s Research Officer and then as a Short-Term Expert, where he worked on national level fiscal policies and concerns. He has previous experience in financial services consulting. Mr. Le holds a Masters in Public Policy from the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy, as well as a double Bachelors in Economics, and Political Economies from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Le speaks Polish and is conversant in Vietnamese.

Selina Lehmann joined the Global Indicators Group in July 2023 to work on the Market Competion Topic, Innovation of the Business Ready Project. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, she was a strategy and transformation consultant at PwC Switzerland, focussing on public sector clients. Selina holds an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Geneva. During and between her studies, she was a research assistant on several projects, covering topics such as international trade and digitalisation. Selina is a native German speaker who is fluent in French.

Julia Liniado joined the Global Indicators Group to work on the Market Competition Indicator, Innovation of the Business Ready project. Before joining the World Bank, Mrs. Liniado worked at Save the Children US as a Research Advisor carrying out impact evaluations of programs implemented by the organization. Previously, Mrs. Liniado worked in the National Ministry of Industry of Argentina, within the Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade. She participated in the negotiation of Free Trade Agreements, specializing in Intellectual Property Rights. Mrs. Liniado holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and International Development (MPA/ID) from Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Buenos Aires. She has completed courses in Advanced Statistics and Econometrics, as well as Data Science. Mrs. Liniado speaks Spanish.

Ramiro Maldonado joined the Global Indicators Group in May 2023 to work on the Dispute Resolution topic of the Business Ready project. Prior to that, he worked at the Inter-America Development Bank, the Organization of American States, PepsiCo, and practiced the law in his home country at a full-service law firm for 5 years. Mr. Maldonado holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from INCAE Business School (as an OAS for Sustainable Development Scholar) and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from Francisco Marroquín University where his graduation thesis received the highest honors. He speaks Spanish.

Leslie Malher joined the Global Indicators Group in May 2020 and currently works on the Utility Services topic of the Business Ready project. She previously worked on the Getting Electricity indicator of the Doing Business report as well as the Business Reform Committees project. Originally from France, Leslie holds a Master’s degree in Global Commerce and Policy from the Schar School of Policy and Government in Arlington, Virginia and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Concordia University in Montréal, Canada. During her studies, she worked for the World Bank Group with the Trading Across Borders and the Employing Workers/Labor indicators of Doing Business. Prior to joining the World Bank, Leslie worked as a Research Assistant with George Mason University in Virginia. She speaks French and is conversant in Spanish. 

Valerie Marechal joined the Business Ready team in January 2022 and currently works on the Labor topic. Valerie previously worked with Subnational Doing Business and in Business Regulation policy reform with the WBG Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Practice. She also led the creation of the Enabling the Business of Agriculture Seed indicators, and was topic lead for the Employing Workers team whilst a part of the Doing Business team. Valerie has an LL.M in Law and Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, a Master 1 in  Law from the Sorbonne University, Paris and an LLB in English and French Law from King’s College London. She speaks French and Spanish. 

Melanie Martinz joined the Global Indicators Group in July 2023 and currently works on the International Trade topic of the Business Ready project. Before joining the World Bank Group, she worked on digital trade at the St. Gallen Endowment for Prosperity through Trade. Melanie is pursuing her Ph.D. in Political Science, focusing on International Trade Policy, at University of Innsbruck. She holds a Master's degree in European and International Studies from University of Innsbruck and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from University of Vienna. Next to her studies, Melanie worked as a Research Assistant on various projects, including trade policy, European constitutional law, and climate change. She speaks German and Spanish.

Tamar Matiashvili joined the Global Indicators Group in February 2020 and currently works on the Taxation topic of the Business Ready project. Previously, she covered Paying Taxes indicator for the Doing Business project. Tamar has more than ten-year-experience in policy analysis, analytical and advisory services in the field of taxation. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, She worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers Georgia as a Senior Tax Consultant and for the Georgian Revenue Service as a Tax auditor. In addition, Ms. Matiashvili co-authored the Doing Business 2019 report as a PwC secondee within the World Bank's Doing Business team. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Ilia State University of Georgia. She speaks Georgian and Russian. 

Liying Meng joined the Global Indicators Group in May 2023 and currently works on the Utility Services topic of the Business Ready (B-READY) project. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, she worked on business and investments between China and Latin America as a research assistant at the Woodrow Wilson Center. She also served as Business Assistant for the Commercial Counsellor at the Embassy of Ecuador in China. She holds a master’s degree in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Liying speaks Chinese and Spanish. 

Olivia Mutambo currently works on the Business Ready Dispute Resolution indicator. Previously, she worked on the Enforcing Contracts indicator for the Doing Business project. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Mutambo worked as a Legal Counsel for the African Development Bank’s private sector division, a Multilateral Development Bank, where she primarily advised on project finance, private equity and corporate transactions. Before that, Ms. Mutambo worked as a Transactional Attorney for International Law firms in Africa and the United States (Washington, DC) where she advised on banking and finance, corporate governance, legal and regulatory compliance and U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Acts (FCPA- anti corruption laws). Ms. Mutambo holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from American University’s Washington College of Law. She also holds a Postgraduate degree in Law (LLB) and Bachelor of Arts Honors degree (BA) in International Studies from Rhodes University in South Africa. She is an attorney admitted to the New York State Bar. She speaks French and is conversant in Swahili.

Debasmita Padhi joined the B-Ready Data Analysis team in July 2023. Previously, she was a Robert S. McNamara Research Fellow with the Development Impact Evaluation (DIME) group, where she worked with the governance and institutions team. Prior to joining the World Bank, Debasmita managed the scale-up of evidence-based programs at J-PAL South Asia with Government and non-Government partners. She has worked extensively on field experiments in South Asia to evaluate the impact of education programs in collaboration with economists, and policy makers. She holds an MSc in Economics for Development from the University of Oxford and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Delhi, India. She speaks Hindi and Odia. 

Elena Popic joined the Global Indicators Group in August 2023. She currently works on the Utility Services topic of the Business Ready project. She previously worked as Consultant for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Policy officer with the American Chamber of Commerce in Moldova, where she coordinated regulatory initiatives for sustainable economic development and private sector growth. Elena holds a Master of Corporate Law (MCL) degree from the University of Cambridge, and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Washington with a focus on data science for policy analysis, statistical methods, and evaluation. She speaks Russian, French, and Romanian.

Thomas Romano joined the Global Indicators Group of the Development Economics Vice-Presidency in April 2023 and currently works on the Utility Services topic of the Business Ready (B-READY) project. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked for the Directorate General for Competition at the European Commission and as a research assistant for a project on the functions and mandates of Central Banks at the University of Essex. Thomas holds a Bachelor in Economics with Mathematics from the University of Essex and dual master’s degrees in International Policy Analysis jointly offered by Bocconi University and the London School of Economics. He speaks Italian, French, and is conversant in Spanish.

Harshita Sakhamuri joined the Global Indicators Group in August 2023 to work on the Market Competition, Procurement indicator of the Business Ready project. Prior to this, Harshita graduated with a dual Masters of Public Administration from Columbia University and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her areas of study have been international economic policy and data analytics. She has previously worked with the Government of Andhra Pradesh, India and on projects for several organizations like UNICEF, World Vision and Plan International. She speaks Telugu and Hindi and has basic proficiency in French.

Pierre Yvon Seka joined the Global Indicators Group in January 2020 and currently works on the Financial Services indicator within the Business Ready project. Prior to his current role, he worked as an analyst for the Getting Credit - Credit Information indicator. Mr. Seka is currently pursuing his PhD in Economics, Growth and Development at Howard University. Before joining the World Bank Group, Pierre worked as a part-time Bookkeeper at VA CPA Services, a full-service accounting firm servicing small businesses, non-profit organizations and government contractors in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Before that, he interned as a Junior Economist at the Department of Economics in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire. He holds a Master of Arts in Economics, Growth and Development - International Economics from Howard University where he focused his research on comparison of economics policies and outcomes in African countries. He also holds a master’s degree in Political Economics and a bachelor’s degree in Economical Sciences and Management from the Facultés Universitaires Privées d'Abidjan (FUPA), Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire. He speaks French.

Xiaoqiao Shen joined the Global Indicators Group in April 2023 to work on the Financial Services topic of the Business Ready project. She worked as a financial lawyer at Qianhai Runhe Investment and Zhong Lun, Gallant in China before that. She currently works as a part-time Economic Research Assistant at John Hopkins University. She holds an MA degree in international development from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and an LLM degree from the University of Hong Kong. Xiaoqiao speaks Chinese.

Syuzanna Simonyan joined the Development Economics Global Indicators Group of the World Bank in February 2019. Currently, she works on the Financial Services topic of the Business Ready project. She previously worked on the Protecting Minority Investors and Resolving Insolvency indicators of the Doing Business project. Before joining the Doing Business team, Ms. Simonyan had worked on Public Accountability Mechanisms Initiative with the World Bank Group. Prior to that, she worked as a Staff Attorney at the American Bar Association’s Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative in Armenia. Ms. Simonyan holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the American University, Washington College of Law, International Legal Studies Program, and a Law degree from Gladzor University in Armenia. She speaks Armenian and Russian.

Ines Sosa joined the Global Indicators Group in February 2019 and currently works on the Financial Services topic of the Business Ready Project. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, she worked at the Organization of American States in Washington DC, and as a pro bono lawyer for asylum-seekers in Alexandria, Virginia. Before coming to the US, Ms. Sosa worked in Venezuela as an in-house attorney of a major transnational company, where she primarily dealt with legal and regulatory compliance issues and risk mitigation. She also worked as an associate at two public law departments of top-tier law firms in Venezuela. Simultaneously, Ms. Sosa was also a Professor at Universidad Catolica Andres Bello, where she obtained her first law degree. She holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Studies with a focus on Public International Law from Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Sosa speaks Spanish and English and is conversant in Portuguese.

Lynn Talouzian joined the Development Economics Global Indicators Group of the World Bank in April 2021. She currently works on the Financial Services topic of the Business Ready project. She previously worked on the Getting Credit - Legal Rights indicator of the Doing Business project. Prior to that, she worked as a Legal Counsel at the Legal Department and Compliance Unit of the Central Bank of Lebanon. Currently a Ph.D. in Law candidate at Panthéon-Assas University Paris II writing her thesis on “the regulation of FinTech in the banking and financial sectors”, Ms. Talouzian also holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from Duke University School of Law and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from Saint Joseph University. She speaks French and Arabic.

Kerenny Torres-Negron joined the Global Indicators Group in May 2023 and currently works on the Market Competition topic of the Business Ready project. Prior to joining the World Bank, she worked as an Associate Economist at a leading cross-commodity reporting agency in Boston, where she analyzed North American trade and microeconomic data for select commodities and reported on market conditions. She also worked as a Fiscal Plan Associate at the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, actively contributing to the implementation of crucial government-wide measures and reforms, including  e-procurement and doing business rankings. Additionally, Kerenny has experience in corporate strategic planning within the banking industry, where she analyzed industry data and market players for a Top 50 US Bank. She holds a Master's degree in Specialised Economic Analysis in Trade and Development from the Barcelona School of Economics, as well as an MBA and a Bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Puerto Rico.

Attique Ur Rehman joined the Global Indicators Group in July 2023. He currently works on the Data Analysis team of the B-Ready project, specializing in STATA. Previously, Attique worked as a consultant for the World Bank’s Identification for Development (ID4D) Initiative and Development Impact Evaluation (DIME) group. Prior to joining the World Bank, he held various research positions with the Center for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Attique also contributed as an adjunct faculty at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). He is currently pursuing his PhD in Economics at the University of Delaware and holds master’s degrees in economics from the University of Delaware and LUMS. He speaks Urdu and Punjabi.

Nicole Yue Wu joined the Global Indicators Group in July 2023. She currently works on the Data Analysis team of the B-Ready project. Prior to joining the World Bank, Nicole worked with multiple international organizations on measuring global food security and evaluating the gendered impact of COVID-19 in Africa and South Asia. She also covered topics such as scaling up technological innovations in Africa, and conducted systematic reviews on social cohesion, energy efficiency and resilience. Nicole holds a Master of Development Practice from the University of California Berkeley and received her Bachelor of Management from China Agricultural University. She speaks Chinese.

Ray Yazbek joined the Global Indicators Group of the Development Economics Vice-Presidency in July 2021 and is currently part of the Financial Services team of the Bunsiness Ready project. He is a certified lawyer registered in Beirut and New York, and has obtained his LL.M. degree from Georgetown University in Washington DC. Prior to joining the World Bank, Ray was a legal counsel at the legal department of the Lebanese Central Bank where he tackled the various sides of the banking and financial sector. He has also extensive experience in digital finance and Fintech and has contributed to the development of the startups sector in the region.

Caline Zakher joined the Global Indicators Group in January 2021. She currently works for the Taxation indicator for the Business Ready report. Previously she was working for the Paying Taxes and Protecting Minority Investors indicators within the Doing Business team. Caline holds a Master of Science in Management from Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the American University of Beirut. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Caline held a position in a Beirut-based private equity firm backed up by the IFC where she worked on developing the private sector in the Levant region.In addition to English, she speaks French and Arabic.