The President of the World Bank Robert Zoellick has thanked Dr Shamshad Akhtar for the leadership role she played at the bank. "After two years as Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA), Shamshad Akhtar has informed me that she will be leaving the Bank in September.
I would like to especially thank her for leading our response to the dramatic and fluid events in the Middle East this past year, working with clients and stakeholders to reshape our regional strategy and prepare important contributions to discussions on the Middle East at the G8 and other fora. At the same time, Shamshad responded to the immediate needs of our clients and office staff.
I would also like to thank Shamshad for her efforts over the last two years to develop a high quality program of analytical work that enhanced our interactions with clients and formed the basis for significant growth in support. Shamshad helped advance the potential of the Arab World Initiative by reprioritising and focusing on issues such as regional integration and knowledge management. She has also developed key partnerships with regional financial institutions and Arab funds.
Before joining the Bank, Shamshad served as Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and as Governor of the IMF - a position she took up after a distinguished career at the Asian Development Bank, including as Director General of the South East Asia Region and as Director of the Governance, Finance and Trade Division. I very much appreciate Shamshad's professionalism, her dedication, and her first class technical skills and offer my personal appreciation for the contribution she has made to the region and to the Bank at this challenging time."
"I want to thank all of these fine colleagues - Shamshad, Inger, Rachel, Nena, James, Michel, Jim, Pamela and Hasan - for their leadership in making the World Bank Group the World's top flight development institution. They can be proud of their work and we are proud of them."