The World Bank has named Mr. Robert Taliercio O’Brien as the Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in the Western and Central Africa Region, effective January 2nd, 2024.
Mr. Taliercio will be stationed at the World Bank’s Accra Office.
An American national, Mr. Taliercio has been part of the World Bank since 2000, initially joining as a Young Professional in the Africa region.
Over the years, he has held various roles such as Practice Manager, Lead Economist, and Country Economist in regions like East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, and Africa.
His recent assignment was as the Regional Director in the Latin America and Caribbean Region for the Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions (EFI) Department.
Before joining the World Bank, Mr. Taliercio served as a Lecturer in Public Finance at the Harvard Institute for International Development.
He also worked as a Manager for HIID’s Program on Investment Appraisal and Management and held a visiting professor role at the Bolivian Catholic University.
Mr. Taliercio’s contributions to public finance policy and administration have been recognized with service awards from the Ministers of Finance of the Republic of Korea and the Kingdom of Cambodia.
In his new role, Mr. Taliercio will focus on three key priorities: leading the Bank’s strategic dialogue with the designated countries, supporting the implementation of the Africa Region’s priorities, deepening policy dialogue and partnership with governments and stakeholders, and overseeing the delivery and implementation of the lending and non-lending portfolio.
Mr. Taliercio holds a PhD and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University, a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from Stanford University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University. His extensive work on public finance policy and administration has been featured in academic journals, books, and development publications.