WB appoints new Country Director for China, Mongolia and Korea

Mr. Bert Hofman, a Dutch National, is the World Bank's new Country Director for China, Mongolia and Korea in the East Asia and Pacific Region, based in Beijing.

Prior to his present assignment, Mr. Hofman was the World Bank's Chief Economist for the East Asia and Pacific Region and Director, Singapore Office. As regional chief economist he led a team to analyze key trends and policy issues across East Asia and the Pacific and as Director Singapore he helped build a partnership that focuses on expanding investment in infrastructure in emerging economies.

Before moving to Singapore in 2011, Mr. Hofman was the Country Director for the Philippines, responsible for a growing portfolio of projects and advisory services to the Philippines government.

Mr. Hofman has accumulated more than 22 years of experience in the World Bank, 16 of which in the East Asia region. Among others, Mr. Hofman was Lead Economist for China and for Indonesia and country economist for Mongolia and Namibia. He had also worked on Brazil, South Africa, Mongolia, Zambia, and Namibia in his earlier years with the Bank.

Prior to joining the World Bank, Mr. Hofman worked at the Kiel Institute of World Economics in Germany, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, and NMB Bank in the Netherlands (now ING).

Mr. Hofman holds a degree in economics of Erasmus University Rotterdam and studied at the Christian Albrechts University, Kiel.