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Anna Wellenstein is the Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean in the World Bank’s Sustainable Development Practice Group. Ms. Wellenstein is responsible for the World Bank’s agriculture, climate, disaster risk management, environment, land, social, urban, and water portfolios in the region.    

Prior to this, Ms. Wellenstein was Director for Strategy and Operations of the World Bank’s Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice, where she oversaw $25 billion in lending to developing countries in over 200 projects, 325 studies and technical assistance projects. She was a key member of the Global Practice’s senior management team that set strategy for analytics and financing in areas such as disaster risk reduction, urban renovation, and geospatial technology. She also oversaw partnerships with bilateral, United Nations, and regional organizations.

Ms. Wellenstein has over 20 years of experience in urban development and infrastructure. She has led efforts to design and finance investments, facilitate policy reforms, and build capacity to help developing countries reduce poverty and boost equity. She has been responsible for technical oversight of new projects financed by the World Bank, the portfolio quality of ongoing projects, and setting sector and country strategies. She has developed strong partnerships with governments in countries ranging from large middle income to small island states, as well as development agencies and academia.

Connect with Anna Wellenstein on Twitter (@AnnaWellenstein) and LinkedIn.

Mariko Yamamoto is a Junior Professional Officer (Social Development) who joined the World Bank’s Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice in 2018, primarily focusing on violence prevention and forced displacement. Mariko’s background includes transitional justice and migration. Prior to the World Bank, she worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the International Labour Organization, and has experience working in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Togo. Mariko holds a BA in Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick, and an MA in International Relations Peace and Conflict Specialization from the Australian National University/Peace Research Institute Oslo.