September 16, 2025
The World Bank Group announced the appointment of Susana Cordeiro Guerra as Vice President for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, effective today. In this role, she will lead the Bank’s work in 31 countries in the region and oversee a portfolio of US$41.5 billion in ongoing operations. She will be based at the World Bank’s headquarters in Washington, DC.
Cordeiro Guerra, the first Latin American woman to hold this position, brings strong leadership experience in development effectiveness, institution building, and innovative financing. She will advance the Bank’s agenda for job-driven development, measurable results, and stronger public-private collaboration throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
“ As I take office, my priority is to help Latin America and the Caribbean create quality jobs, which are the foundation for inclusive growth and poverty reduction ,” said Cordeiro Guerra . “ Jobs not only provide income, they also bring dignity, strengthen communities and expand opportunities. By working with governments, the private sector and local partners, we can create the right conditions for investment and innovation, which result in more resilient economies and more prosperous societies .”
Prior to this appointment, Cordeiro Guerra held senior positions at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), where she led strategy for fiscal and economic programs, advanced data-driven decision-making, and fostered financial innovation. Between 2019 and 2021, she led the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), overseeing 12,000 employees and leading the modernization of the country’s official statistics and the national population census. Earlier in her career, she worked across the World Bank Group in several departments and regions on decentralization and subnational development.
Prior to this appointment, Cordeiro Guerra held senior positions. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a Master of Public Administration and International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a Bachelor of Social Sciences from Harvard College. Her publications focus on front-line managerial innovation in the public sector, higher education and labor market outcomes, and decentralization and regional disparities.
She succeeds Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, who has been appointed World Bank Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific.