Hope Over Fate: Fazle Hasan Abed and the Science of Ending Global Poverty

Scott MacMillan is the director of learning and innovation at BRAC USA, an affiliate organization of BRAC, where he has worked since 2011. A former journalist, he served as the speechwriter of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the founder of BRAC, prior to Abed’s death in 2019. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and daughter, along with a cat, dog, and four horses.

Mercy Tembon is Vice President and Corporate Secretary of the World Bank Group. In her role, Ms. Tembon’s primary responsibilities are to ensure the integrity of the World Bank Group’s governance framework; facilitate effective interaction and dialogue between the Board of Governors, Boards of Executive Directors and Management of the institution; contribute to consensus building among shareholders; and provide support services to the Boards, management and other clients. In her most recent role as the World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, Ms. Tembon led the strategic dialogue and implementation of the World Bank Group's Country Partnership Framework in support of the development priorities of both countries.

Martin Raiser became the World Bank’s Vice President for the South Asia Region on July 1, 2022. As the Regional Vice President for South Asia, Mr. Raiser manages Bank relations with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and oversees a portfolio of projects, technical assistance and financial resources worth almost US$55 billion. Before joining the region, Mr. Raiser was the World Bank’s Country Director for China and Mongolia, and Director for Korea. Mr. Raiser has also held positions as the Country Manager in Uzbekistan, Country Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, Country Director for Turkey, and Country Director for Brazil.

Maurizio Bussolo, lead economist in the Chief Economist Office for South Asia, has been working on quantitative analyses of economic policy and development with research interests spanning both micro and macroeconomic topics. At the World Bank, he also worked in the Chief Economist Office for Europe and Central Asia and in the Development Economics Prospects Group; and he led operational teams in the aftermath of the 2008-09 crisis negotiating with Latin American and Caribbean governments the implementation of reforms to shield the most vulnerable.