ISLAMABAD, September 30, 2015 ─ Patchamuthu Illangovan (Illango) joins the Islamabad office on October 1 as the World Bank’s new Country Director for Pakistan. He succeeds Rachid Benmessaoud, who completes his term today.
Mr. Illangovan, a Sri-Lankan national, counts over three decades of international development experience. He joined the World Bank in 1993 and has since served in many positions including leadership roles in Europe and Central Asia, East Asia and Pacific, and South Asia regions of the World Bank. He has also held managerial responsibilities in the Bank’s country offices in Bangkok, Vientiane and Kabul. Illango has managed programs and projects in many middle and low income countries, including leading teams that have delivered complex and innovative solutions to Bank clients in water, environment, natural resources, energy and urban sectors. He has extensive experience in overseeing the implementation of portfolios in challenging country environments. Prior to joining the Bank, he worked in the public and private sectors in Sri Lanka.
“I am delighted to be in Pakistan”, says Illango. “We have a long-standing partnership that has benefited millions of people over generations. Together with my team, I look forward to deepening our engagement with government, local institutions, civil society, private sector, development partners, and other stakeholders to further boost shared prosperity and reduce poverty in the country. We will continue supporting Pakistan in several areas including: transforming the energy sector; supporting private sector led growth; inclusion of the underserved, neglected and poor; and improved service delivery; and at the same time enhance opportunities for women and youth, advance regional integration efforts and address climate resilience and environmental sustainability.”
For more information on the Bank’s work in Pakistan, please visit https://www.worldbank.org.pk
