Prior to joining the AfDB, Mr. Mbi worked for over 31 years at the World Bank and held several senior positions, the last being Director for Strategy and Operations, covering the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA), a role he combined with Director of Core Operational Services.
Among other senior duties, he was responsible for overseeing operational issues, strategy execution, strategic resource management, quality control, procurement, financial management, safeguards and ensuring efficient operations of the Region. He also played a key role in the MENA Region's program and strategic agenda of priority initiatives in response to the Arab Spring. He was very much involved in a large number of World Bank modernization programs such as Middle Income Country (MIC) Task Force, Human Resources (including for service in Fragile Countries), decentralization, matrix working group.
Prior to that appointment in 2009, he served the World Bank for over 28 years in a variety of operational capacities whereby he held, inter alia the positions of the World Bank's Regional (Country) Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti, Regional (Country) Director for the Great Lakes and South/Central Africa (Burundi, Congo, DRC, Rwanda and Multi-country Demobilization and Reintegration Program--MDRP), Resident Representative for Togo and Benin, Senior/Principal Operations Officer in the Latin America and Caribbean and Africa Regions. He has also served as an economic adviser to the Government of Comoros while on secondment from the World Bank. Mr. Mbi brings strong management credentials and a wealth of experience in African Development issues following this very distinguished career at the World Bank, where he started as a Young Professional in 1981, working on energy sector issues in the South Asia Region. Prior to joining the World Bank he worked as researcher with the Washington DC-based think tank Resources for the Future (RFF).
His accolades include a World Bank Group Diversity and Inclusion Lifetime Leadership Achievement Award in 2012 and a Good Manager Award from the World Bank Group Staff Association in 2007. He also received a Mentor Recognition Award in 2002 from the Africa Region of the World Bank.
