Zafer Mustafaoglu has been appointed as the new country director for the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei by the World Bank.
His appointment, which took effect on July 1, 2024, places him in charge of overseeing the support provided by the multilateral lender to these countries.
Zafer will also be responsible for advancing policy dialogues with government officials, civil society, academia, the private sector, and other key stakeholders.
Zafer takes over from Ndiame Diop, who previously served as the World Bank country director for the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Commenting on his new role, Zafer said,
“I am deeply honoured to assume the role of country director for the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei – countries that stand out as some of the most vibrant economies in the East Asia region, with significant achievements in economic transformation and poverty alleviation.”
“I look forward to meeting our partners across government, the private sector, civil society and academic institutions to deepen my understanding of the unique development challenges these countries face and to explore how the World Bank can further contribute to their progress,”
he went on.
Before joining the World Bank, Zafer served as head of the Modelling and Economic Analysis Department at the Prime Ministry State Planning Organisation for the Turkish government.
He earned his doctorate in International Economics from the Middle East Technical University in Turkey and completed his master’s degree and conducted research in economics at the University of Essex and Cambridge University in England.
Featured image credit: Edited from Freepik
