High-Level Event: Investing in Nepal’s Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development (GRID) Priorities

Dr. Mahat is the Finance Minister of Nepal appointed on March 31, 2023. He also serves as the spokesperson of the Nepali Congress and is a member of the House of Representatives. His previous roles include Minister of Foreign Affairs (2016-17), Minister of Energy (2010-12), State Minister for Foreign Affairs (2004-05), and a member of the National Planning Commission from (2002). Mr. Mahat holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Southern Illinois University, a Master’s degree in policy economics from University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and a Master’s degree in economics from Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu.  

Anna Bjerde has been the World Bank’s Managing Director for Operations since April 3, 2023. Prior to assuming the role of Managing Director, Ms. Bjerde served as Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, where she led the World Bank’s efforts to steer the region through a series of overlapping global shocks—the COVID-19 pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis, natural disasters, and the World Bank’s large-scale response to Ukraine.

She previously worked as Director of Strategy and Operations for the Middle East and North Africa region. She was also the Director of Strategy and Operations in the Europe and Central Asia region. In the past, she also held a leadership role overseeing the World Bank’s operations in Sustainable Development and Infrastructure in the Africa region. 

Ms. Bjerde has over 30 years of experience working in development across sectors and regions, with a specific interest in inclusive growth and sustainable infrastructure development. She is a recognized and experienced leader with a strong track record of delivering large client programs, mobilizing resources, managing, and motivating extensive and decentralized workforces and forging strong bilateral and multilateral partnerships. Ms. Bjerde holds a Master’s in Business and Economics from the University of Stockholm. 

Mr. Nepal, currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, heads the International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division (IECCD). Mr. Nepal's experience also includes roles as Joint Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development in Bagmati Province. He served as an Advisor to the Executive Director's Office at the World Bank, South-East Asia Voting Group. 

In his current role, Mr. Nepal oversees development cooperation policy implementation and foreign aid mobilization, participates in the Budget’s formulation, and represents the government in MDB and global forums, leading aid negotiation and signing financing agreements. Previously, he worked as Deputy Director General in the Department of Customs, a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Population, and Executive Director of the Health Insurance Board. Mr. Nepal has a Bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Master’s degree in economics from Tribhuvan University, Nepal.

Mr. Faris Hadad-Zervos is the World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Prior to this, he served as the World Bank Country Manager for Nepal, Country Manager for Malaysia and the Head of the Global Knowledge and Research Hub in Kuala Lumpur. Mr. Hadad-Zervos, a US national, joined the World Bank in 1996 with the Private Sector Development Department. He served as Manager of the Technical Cooperation Program with the Gulf Cooperation Countries (2000-2003), Head of Mission for Iraq (2003-2005), Operations Manager for the West Bank and Gaza (2005-2008), Acting Director for Fragile States in the Operations Department (2010-2011) and Country Manager for Bolivia (2012-2015). In 2008, Hadad-Zervos took a leave of absence from the World Bank to serve as the Deputy Head of the Quartet Office for the Middle East Peace Process, based in Jerusalem. Mr. Hadad-Zervos holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from George Mason University, and a Master’s Degree in Finance from George Washington University.

Ms. Sunita Dangol is the elected Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City representing the Communisit Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist). She is a self-directed, dynamic and visionary communication professional working as a Newa heritage conservationist and indigenous-script (Ranjana) activist. She is also the Co-Founder of Callijatra, a youth group from Nepal promoting Nepal Scripts. Ms. Dangol worked in the City Planning Commission of Kathmandu for four years. She is also recognized as a professional Master of Ceremony, beauty pageant winner, and a social worker. Ms. Dangol holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biotech and a Master’s degree in Sociology. 

Ms. Khatiwada is an Architect and an Urban Planner, with a Bachelor in Architecture from the Institute of Engineering (IOE) Pulchowk Campus and Masters in Urban Planning from Harvard University. She is the founder and director of ‘Gaatha’, an architecture design firm. She is also a former Miss Nepal (2018) and subsequently participated in Miss World 2018 where she won the "Beauty with a purpose" award. In 2019, she was appointed the Goodwill Ambassador for 70 years of Nepal-France relationship. She is currently based in Nepal and dedicates much of her time at her Gaatha office. 

Mr. Gurung is a low-carbon professional, with over 15 years of experience, spanning Europe and Asia. He is the founder and CEO of WindPower Nepal. He is also a co-founder and Director of Gandaki Urja, a waste-to-energy company that can process up to 45 tons of organic waste daily to produce bottled compressed Biogas and organic fertilizer. Mr. Gurung has MSc in Carbon Management from the University of Edinburgh and M.Sc. in Environmental Science from Tribhuvan University. He has been recognized by the University of Edinburgh Business School as one of the best 100 Alumni in the last 100 years. Mr. Gurung is also an Expert Member of the Government of Nepal’s Environment Protection Council. 

Dr. Karki is the CEO of Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN) and a Former Ambassador of the Government of Nepal to the United States, Columbia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Guyana. Dr. Karki is also the Ambassador-Designate to Honduras. 

Dr. Karki has more than 20 years of experience in NGOs, international relations, international diplomacy and negotiations, conflict mediation, peacebuilding, and development cooperation. Before his current role, Dr. Karki was the International Coordinator of LDC Watch. Dr. Karki was actively engaged in Nepal’s democracy movement in the 1990s. Throughout the Maoist conflict (1996-2006), he was intensively involved in conflict mediation, conflict transformation, and the development space as the President of NGO Federation of Nepal, the Regional Coordinator of the South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication and the head of RRN. Dr. Karki earned his Ph.D. in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia, UK.  

Ms. Forsyth is the Head of Climate Strategy and Co-ordination at Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Prior to this, Alicia worked as Head of Strategy at UK Ministry of Defence. She has experience working in international security, strategy, running large organizations, and most recently climate change. Alicia has Masters in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and Master of Arts from the University of Edinburgh. 

Mr. Subramaniam has been with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for over 26 years. He was recently appointed as Director General and Chief of the Sectors Group. The Group is responsible for the delivery of all lending and technical assistance operations in seven sectors across the Asia and the Pacific Region. 

A trained economist, Mr. Subramaniam’s work at ADB has focused on economic policy reforms, infrastructure financing and urban development. He has worked on shaping ADB’s engagement overall and in selected sectors in 23 countries. Since 2007, he has held various senior positions, including Director General for Procurement and Financial Management (2015-17) and Director General of Southeast Asia Department at SERD (2017-23). Mr. Subramaniam has also served on various Global Future Councils of the World Economic Forum since 2012, including as co-chair of the Sustainable Development Investment Partnership ASEAN Hub. 

Mr. Raiser was appointed 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. Prior to this role, Mr. Raiser served as the World Bank’s Country Director for China and Mongolia, and Director for Korea. In this role, he managed an evolving partnership with China, a growing program of support to Mongolia, and a deepening knowledge partnership with Korea focused on innovation and technology. Mr. Raiser has also held positions as the Country Director for Brazil, Türkiye, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova as well as Country Manager in Uzbekistan. Before joining the World Bank, Mr. Raiser worked for the Kiel Institute of World Economics and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, where he was Director of Country Strategy and Editor of the Transition Report. Mr. Raiser holds a doctorate degree in Economics (summa cum laude) from the University of Kiel, Germany, and degrees in Economics and Economic History from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. Mr. Raiser, a German national, is married and has four children. He has published numerous articles in refereed economic journals and authored several books.

Mr. Shakya is Founder Chair of Nepal Economic Forum, a Kathmandu-based private sector-led economic policy and research institution. He is also the Founder Chief Executive Officer of beed Management, a Kathmandu-based international management company and advisory firm working in Asia and Africa. He is the Senior Advisor, Bhutan and Nepal, for Bower Group Asia, a United States strategic advisory firm. Prior to starting Beed in 2008, he worked with one of Nepal’s largest business group for 20 years, including as Group President. A chartered accountant by training, Mr Shakya has a Certificate in Coaching from Columbia University and a Diploma in International Marketing from Boston University.