Vice President, Development Finance

Joachim von Amsberg became Vice President of Development Finance (DFi) on February 1, 2013. As such, he oversees the strategic mobilization of resources, helping to align the needs of recipients, World Bank Group institutional priorities, and priorities of funding partners through a variety of funding instruments. Von Amsberg is responsible for the replenishment and stewardship of the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's fund for the poorest, as well as for trust fund and partnership operations, including the trusteeship of financial intermediary funds. He also oversees the department responsible for monitoring IBRD's financial sustainability and ensuring the effective utilization and prudent management of financial resources. He also oversees the World Bank Group’s Secretariat on Financing for Development (FfD), which is working, in partnership with the UN and other multilateral development banks, to identify ways to scale up the resources needed to finance the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.

Von Amsberg, a German national, has held various positions in Washington and in the World Bank’s country offices. From July 2010-January 2013, he served as Vice President for the World Bank’s Operations Policy and Country Services vice presidential unit. In this capacity, von Amsberg led the introduction of the Bank's first new lending instrument in 30 years, as well as a major reform program focused on improving the flexibility of investment lending, strengthening the institution’s support to fragile and conflict-affected states, and implementing a new policy on access to information.

Prior to that, he held the post of Country Director for Indonesia, overseeing one of the Bank’s largest country programs and country offices. He supported the government of Indonesia’s efforts to improve the investment climate and service delivery to the poor through stronger governance. He also led the Bank’s relationships and engagement with Indonesia, its government, and other stakeholders, in close collaboration with IFC and MIGA.

As Country Director for the Philippines from 2004-2007, von Amsberg led a new World Bank strategy for enhanced support to the Philippines. This strategy supported “Islands of Good Governance,” demonstrating how improved accountability and service delivery would lead to better economic and social outcomes. Under this strategy, World Bank programs were scaled up significantly, aligned more closely with the country’s own priorities, and implemented, as far as possible, through the country’s own systems and institutions.

Von Amsberg began his career at the Bank in 1993 as an economist and “Young Professional.” He worked on environmental programs and policy studies from 1994-97 for Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay, as well as on policy studies in Egypt. Subsequently, he worked for many years on the Bank’s Brazil program: as sector economist working on policy studies and projects in environmental management, rural and urban development; as country economist from 1997-2001 in the Brasilia country office, focusing primarily on poverty strategies and policies; and from 2001-2004 as lead economist in Washington, where he led the economic policy dialogue, analytical and advisory assistance and adjustment lending programs for the government of Brazil.

Von Amsberg was a member of the steering committee that oversaw the preparation of the World Bank’s Governance and Anti-Corruption Strategy. He was also an integral part of several task forces to strengthen the World Bank’s programs in support of middle income countries.

Von Amsberg holds a Ph.D. in Finance and Economic Policy from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Technische Universität Berlin, Germany; and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of British Columbia.