The annual Doing Business reports are researched and written by a team of experts. This year's team is shown in alphabetical order below.
The annual Doing Business reports are researched and written by a team of experts. This year's team is shown in alphabetical order below.
Norman Loayza is Director of the Global Indicators Group at the World Bank. Previously, he was a Lead Economist in the Development Research Group and managed the Asia hub of the Research Group, based in Malaysia. He was director of the World Development Report 2014, Risk and Opportunity: Managing Risk for Development. His research has dealt with various areas of economic and social development, including macroeconomic management, economic growth, microeconomic flexibility, private and public saving, financial depth and stability, natural disasters, and crime and violence. His advisory experience at the World Bank has also ranged across different topics in various regions and countries. A few examples include business environment and economic performance in Latin America; informal and formal labor markets in the Middle East and Northern Africa; public infrastructure gaps in Pakistan and Egypt; savings for macroeconomic stability and growth in Sri Lanka, Georgia, and Egypt; and pro-poor growth in Indonesia and Peru. On external service from the World Bank, he was a Senior Economist at the Central Bank of Chile (1999-2000), where he advised on financial and monetary policy. Norman has edited 10 books and published dozens of papers in professional journals and edited volumes. A Peruvian national, he holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University (1994).
Valeria Perotti is the Program Manager of the Doing Business unit. She joined the team in December 2019, after holding several positions within the World Bank. As a Senior Economist with the Enterprise Surveys team, she led the implementation of the survey in several countries in East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, and she analyzed firm-level productivity in conjunction with skills and training issues. Valeria also worked in the former Human Development Network of the World Bank, where she managed the Russia Trust Fund survey to develop methods for measuring financial capability. Before joining the World Bank in 2010, Valeria worked on the design and analysis of labor force surveys at ISFOL in Italy. She holds a PhD in Econometrics and Empirical Economics from Tor Vergata University in Rome, and her research has focused on firm productivity, skills, labor market regulations, informality, life expectancy and applied microeconometrics. She speaks Italian.
Youmna Al Hourani joined the Doing Business team in January 2019 and currently works on the Getting Electricity indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Al Hourani worked on issues related to democratic governance and political inclusion in the Middle East at the National Democratic Institute in DC. Before that, she worked on migrant workers’ rights and economic inclusion respectively at ILO and the United Nations in New York City, USA. She previously, worked on forced displacements in Syria at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, Lebanon. She holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies from New York University and a bachelor in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut. She speaks Arabic and French.
Lama Al Jarallah joined the Doing Business team in February 2020 and currently works on the Contracting with the Government indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Al Jarallah was a Beirut-based researcher focused on the MENA region’s political economy, media monitoring, and social movements. She has previously contributed to research for institutes such as Georgetown University’s Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, Freedom House, the Middle East Institute, and Carnegie Middle East Center. Ms. Al Jarallah holds a Masters of Arts in Democracy & Governance supplemented with a Certificate in Arab Studies from Georgetown University where she focused on democratization, rentierism, and geopolitics in the MENA region. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Politics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is a native Arabic speaker.
Leoni Ayoub joined the Resolving Insolvency indicator of the Doing Business team in April 2020. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Ayoub worked as a lawyer in a private practice in Cyprus specialized on public and private law. She has previously worked as a Parliamentary Assistant for a Member of the European Parliament in Brussels and as a Legal Assistant in the Registry of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague. She graduated with Distinction (first class honours) in her Master’s degree (LL.M.) in Public International Law from the University of Kent in Brussels and holds a Specialisation Masters (LL.M.) in European Law from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. She received her LL.B. Law with Honours from the University of Kent in Canterbury. She is a member of the English Bar (Lincoln’s Inn) and the Cypriot Bar Association and is currently awaiting the defence of her PhD Thesis in International and European Law at the Maastricht University. She speaks French and Greek and is conversant in Arabic and Spanish.
Ogma Bale joined the Doing Business team in August 2018. He currently works on the Contracting with the Government indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group. He previously undertook his internship with the Trading across Borders and the Labor Market Regulations indicators. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Mr. Bale worked at the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) located in Togo, where he worked on multiple projects focused on government transparency and inequality. Mr. Bale is currently completing his Master’s degree in Integral Economic Development from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He speaks French.
Elodie Bataille joined the Doing Business team in March 2018. She currently works on the Registering Property Indicator. She previously covered the Credit information indicator. She holds a Master’s in Business Economics from the INSEEC in France, and a Master in Public Policy from Sciences Po Grenoble, where she focused on issues of international economic and political sciences. She received a Bachelor of Law and Administration from the Université de Savoie in France. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Bataille worked in various international organizations like the Organization of American States and most recently in the Inter-American Development Bank where she primarily worked on social security, labor and taxes issues. Ms. Bataille speaks French, Spanish and Portuguese.
Kamal Chakaroun joined the Doing Business team in January 2019, and currently works on the Dealing with Construction Permits indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Mr. Chakaroun worked with the Non-Profit organization AMAR U.S as a Programs Associate, managing livelihood programs in Iraq. Previous to that, he worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) as a Deputy Finance Coordinator in the Central African Republic and as an Administration Manager in Niger. Previous to that, he worked as an Investment Advisor at the Arab Finance Corporation in Lebanon. Mr. Chakaroun holds a MA degree in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, in addition to a MA in Financial Assets Management and a BA in Business Administration from Saint Joseph University in Beirut. He speaks Arabic and French.
Cyriane joined the Doing Business team in February 2017. She works on the Starting a Business indicator. She holds a Master of Law (LL.M) in International Business and Economics Law from Georgetown University Law Center. She is an attorney admitted in New York State. Prior to join Doing Business, Cyriane has worked on the Access to Markets topic of the Enabling the Business of Agriculture project of the World Bank Group. She previously worked in an international law firm in Washington, DC and practiced corporate law in Paris. She speaks French and Spanish.
Santiago Croci joined the Doing Business team in March 2008. As the Program Manager of Doing Business, from October 2017 to November 2019, he led the production of a few editions of the joint World Bank-IFC Doing Business Study. He previously oversaw the Stakeholders Engagement component of Doing Business. Prior to that, he led the Getting Credit - Legal Rights indicator. Before joining the team, Mr. Croci worked on an insolvency and creditor rights initiative at the Legal Vice-Presidency of the World Bank Group. He also worked on development issues at the Competitiveness Capacity Building Initiative of the Organization of American States. Mr. Croci holds a law degree in corporate law from Montpellier I University (Montpellier, France) and a master's degree in international law from Paul Cézanne University (Aix-en-Provence, France). Mr. Croci speaks French and Spanish.
Marie Delion joined the Doing Business team in 2003. She leads the Registering Property indicator and previously led the Dealing with Construction Permits indicator. Her experience in the Bank includes 6 years working at the World Bank Group Institute. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a MBA from the University of Maryland University College. Prior to joining the World Bank Group in 1999, she worked for Siemens in Cameroon and KPMG in New Caledonia. Ms. Delion speaks French.
Nadine Abi Chakra joined the Doing Business team in March 2013. She leads the Getting Credit – Legal Rights indicator and previously covered the Protecting Minority Investors indicator. She holds an LLM in Corporate Law from Cornell Law School and a Bachelor of Laws in French Law and Lebanese Law from Saint Joseph University. Ms. Abi Chakra is a member of the New York Bar Association. Before joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Abi Chakra worked as an associate in the corporate and banking department at law firms in the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. Ms. Abi Chakra speaks French and Arabic.
Varun Eknath joined the Doing Business team in March 2018 to work on the Protecting Minority Investors indicator. He previously worked with the Doing Business team covering the same indicator. In between Doing Business assignments, he worked with the Trade and Competitiveness practice of the World Bank Group on projects in investment promotion & facilitation, economic diversification and sector competitiveness in India. Varun holds a Masters in Law and Economics (MILE) from the World Trade Institute, Bern, Switzerland and the Bachelors of Arts and Law (Honors) from National Law University, Delhi, India. He was awarded the Master Grant by the University of Bern to pursue the MILE program and the prestigious Dr. Angela Merkel-Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarship Grant, 2013. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Varun worked in New Delhi as lawyer and a Junior Associate with the Intellectual Property Division at the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), Geneva, Switzerland. He is a member of the Indian Supreme Court Bar Association. He speaks Hindi and is conversant in French. He is currently based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Viktoriya Ereshchenko joined the Doing Business team in March 2018 and currently works with the Getting Electricity indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Viktoriya was involved in a research project funded by the World Bank Group on ‘Deep Trade Agreements’, for which she co-authored a research paper on Government Procurement. Recently, she was a Research Assistant with the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Previously, Ms. Ereshchenko worked for a consulting firm in New Delhi, India, on international development issues; she also worked with international organizations in Geneva in the field of international trade and economics. Ms. Ereshchenko holds a master’s in international law and Economics from the World Trade Institute in Switzerland, and she also holds a Master’s Degree in International trade from Saint Petersburg State University in Russia. Ms. Ereshchenko speaks Russian. She is currently based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sabrina Fantoni joined the Doing Business team in February 2019 and currently works on the Starting a Business indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Fantoni worked as a Research Specialist for TD International, a business advisory and risk intelligence firm, where she worked in corporate compliance and due diligence. Before that, Ms. Fantoni worked as a Research Assistant at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) where she focused her research on Brazilian agriculture. Ms. Fantoni holds a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Services with a concentration in development where she focused her research on women’s empowerment through conditional cash transfers. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Mackenzie Presbyterian University (São Paulo). She speaks Portuguese and Spanish.
Laura Gollant joined the Doing Business team in April 2020 and currently works on the Paying Taxes indicator. Ms. Gollant has more than six years’ experience working in corporate and international tax at PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Management and Accounting) from the University of Melbourne. Ms. Gollant spent one semester studying in the United States at the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California as a recipient of the Melbourne Global Scholars Award. Ms. Gollant is a qualified Chartered Accountant.
Sarah Houllier joined the Doing Business team in February 2020 and currently works on the Getting Credit-Legal Rights indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Houllier has been a public law judge in France from 2013 to 2016. Ms. Houllier also served as advisor and speechwriter to the Chief Justice of the French Conseil d’Etat (Public Law Supreme Court) focusing on justice reform in France and Europe, European law and politics, policy implementation, competition law and rule of law issues among other topics. Ms. Houllier holds an LLM in Public Law and Global Governance from King’s College London and a Master in Public Affairs from the Institute of Political Studies of Lille (France). She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Relations from the University of Kent (UK). She speaks French.
Nan Jiang is a Senior Economist in the Doing Business unit. She joined the team in December 2008, and has since worked on the Paying Taxes indicators, led the Getting Credit—Credit Information team, and supervised and produced the overall Doing Business data and analytics. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Jiang worked in the ABB Group, Veolia Environnement, and Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking. Her main areas of expertise are investment climate and digital transformation. Ms. Jiang holds a MSc in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University. She speaks Chinese.
Tommy Kairuz Harb joined the Doing Business team in February 2019 and currently works on the Resolving Insolvency and Enforcing Contracts indicators. Tommy previously worked for a year on the Protecting Minority Investors indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Mr. Kairuz Harb has been trained in the Corporate / M&A department of American law firms in Paris and Doha. He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Duke University, and a law degree (LL.B.) from Université Saint-Joseph (Beirut, Lebanon). Tommy is also a member of the Beirut Bar Association since 2016. He speaks French and Arabic and is conversant in Spanish.
Marina joined the Doing Business team in December 2019 and currently works on the Starting a Business indicator. Prior to joining the team, Marina led ICT indicator of the Enabling the Business of Agriculture project of the World Bank Group. She also coordinated production of the Enabling the Business of Agriculture reports. Before joining the World Bank Group in 2015, Marina was a Research Fellow at George Washington University. Previously she worked for GSM Association in London and European Parliament in Brussels. Marina has experience in digital economy, research and emerging markets. She holds a Master of Philosophy in Innovation, Strategy and Organization from the University of Cambridge, UK and a Master in Advanced European Studies and International Relations from the European Institute, France. Marina speaks French and Russian and is conversant in Spanish.
Klaus Koch-Saldarriaga joined the Doing Business team in April 2014. He oversees the interactions with governments as part of the Stakeholders engagement component of Doing Business. He leads the Resolving Insolvency Indicator and previously led the Labor Market Regulation indicator. He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from UC Berkeley, attended the Harvard University negotiation program and holds a law degree from Javeriana University in Colombia. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, he was a Diplomat (Counselor) at the Embassy of Colombia in the United States, where he coordinated the working relationship with U.S. Congress for the approval of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. He also worked for the Business Association of Colombia (ANDI), and the law firms Heuking Kühn in Germany and DG&A in Colombia. He speaks Spanish and is conversant in German.
Sarah Kouhlani Nolla joined the Doing Business team in January 2019 and currently works on the Starting a Business indicator. Before joining the Doing Business team, she worked at the Fragility, Conflict and Violence group of the World Bank. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Kouhlani worked at UNDP on Governance and Peace-building. Previous to that, at the European Commission on macroeconomics of the Euro Area as a Bluebook Trainee, and prior to that at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Legal Consultant. Ms. Kouhlani holds a Master’s in International Relations and Development Economics from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, where she was a Fulbright scholar, and double bachelor’s degree in Law and Economics from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. She speaks French, Arabic, Spanish and Catalan.
Iryna Lagodna joined the Doing Business team in February 2018 to work on the Trading across Borders indicator. She holds a Master's degree in European Economic Studies, specialized in European Economic Integration and Business, from College of Europe in Belgium. Ms. Lagodna was an Erasmus Mundus scholar on a Master’s program in International Economic Studies at Université Paris-Est Créteil (France). She also holds a Master’s degree in Marketing and a Bachelor's degree in economics from National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (Ukraine). Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Lagodna worked on the topics of entrepreneurship and early-stage investing at a European trade association based in Brussels, Belgium, and interned at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva, Switzerland, conducting research on energy efficiency policies and projects. She speaks Ukrainian, Russian and French.
Tiziana Londero joined the Doing Business team in April 2017. She works on the Protecting Minority Investors indicator. She holds a Master’s degree (LL.M.) in Business and Finance Law from the George Washington University Law School and a law degree with a major in Company Law, Financial Markets, and Competition from the Luigi Bocconi University in Milan (Italy). Ms. Londero is admitted to the New York State Bar and is a member of the New York Bar Association. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Londero worked in the regulatory department of a large trade association in Washington D.C. focusing on financial services regulatory issues. She speaks Italian and Hungarian.
Raman Maroz joined the Doing Business team in April 2017 and currently works on the Resolving Insolvency indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Mr. Maroz worked for the Constitutional Court of Belarus, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, as well as practiced international litigation in Moscow, Russian Federation. He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Notre Dame Law School where he was a Fulbright scholar, a Law degree from the Belarusian State University (Belarus), and a University degree in Political Science and European Studies from Université Montesquieu - Bordeaux IV (France). He speaks Russian and Belarusian and is conversant in French.
O'Neall Massamba joined the Doing Business Team in 2020 and currently works on the Contracting with Government indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Massamba worked for over three years as a construction lawyer for Eurovia (VINCI Group) where she was responsible for negotiating major infrastructure projects contracts (Public Private Partnership (PPP), Design Build and Finance, Operation and Maintenance...) in North and South America, with governments and local contractors. Ms. Massamba also worked in one of the biggest law firm in Luxembourg in their Private Equity and Real Estate Investment practice. In addition, she did some Pro Bono work in Montréal (Canada) and Paris (France) to assist refugees seeking asylum, and in Washington D.C with Amnesty International. Ms. Massamba holds a master’s degree (L.L.M) in Business and Finance Law from the George Washington University Law School (USA), as well as a master’s degree in Economics and Business Law from Université Paris I - Panthéon Sorbonne (France) and a Master's Degree in Comparative Business Law (with honors) from Université Paris V - Descartes (France). She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Law and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Université Paris I - Panthéon Sorbonne (France). Ms. Massamba is an attorney admitted to practice in the State of New York and an active member of the ABA Construction Law Forum. She speaks French.
Tamar Matiashvili joined the Doing Business team in February 2020 and currently works on the Paying Taxes indicator. Ms. Matiashvili has more than 8 years of experience working both the in private and public sectors. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Matiashvili worked in Georgia at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a Senior Tax Consultant and for the Georgian Revenue Service as a Tax auditor. In addition, Ms. Matiashvili co-wrote the Doing Business 2019 and Paying Taxes 2019 reports as a PwC Secondee with the Paying Taxes team. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Ilia State University of Georgia. She speaks Georgian and Russian.
Margherita joined the Doing Business team in March 2017 and she currently works with the Paying Taxes indicator. She worked 3 years in Malaysia for Lazada Group, the leading e-commerce company in South East Asia, where she was working in the Cross-Border team and prior to that in the Marketing team. Ms. Mellone has a master’s degree in Management from Bocconi University (Italy). She studied one year in Spain at the Facultad de Ciencias Economicas y Empresariales in Granada; also, she spent one year in India studying at Indian School of Business in Hyderabad and working for a consulting firm in New Delhi. She speaks Italian and Spanish. She is currently based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Nuno Mendes dos Santos joined the Doing Business team in February 2017. He works on the Contracting with the Government indicator. Prior to that, he covered the Trading across Borders. He received his Master’s degree in Global Political Economy from the University of Kassel, Germany, focusing on the political economy of financial regulation in European sports, and is currently working on his PhD on the same subject. He received his Licentiate Degree (with honors) in Political Science and International Relations from the New University of Lisbon, Portugal. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Nuno has most recently worked in the private sector, serving as the International Coordinator and the Marketing and Sales Executive at two global firms, where he was responsible for emerging markets. Nuno has lived in Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and the United States and speaks Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian, and is conversant in Catalan and Turkish.
Frederic Meunier joined the Doing Business team in December 2009. He currently leads the Starting a Business indicator and was previously in charge of the Registering Property indicator. He also leads the Entrepreneurship database project–which measures trends in entrepreneurship around the world. He obtained a degree in economics from Sciences Po and studied at Georgetown University. He holds a Master's degree in economics from the College of Europe (Belgium) and a Master's degree in international business from ESSEC business school (France). Prior to joining the team, Mr. Meunier worked at Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking, where he focused on project finance and public private partnerships. He speaks French and is conversant in German and Spanish.
Olivia Mutambo joined the Doing Business team in March 2020 and currently works on the Enforcing Contracts indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Mutambo worked as a Legal Counsel for the African Development Bank’s private sector division, a Multilateral Development Bank, where she primarily advised on project finance, private equity and corporate transactions. Before that, Ms. Mutambo worked as a Transactional Attorney for International Law firms in Africa and the United States (Washington, DC) where she advised on banking and finance, corporate governance, legal and regulatory compliance and U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Acts (FCPA- anti corruption laws). Ms. Mutambo holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from American University’s Washington College of Law. She also holds a Postgraduate degree in Law (LLB) and Bachelor of Arts Honors degree (BA) in International Studies from Rhodes University in South Africa. She is an attorney admitted to the New York State Bar. She speaks French and is conversant in Swahili.
Joanna Nasr, a private sector development specialist, joined the Doing Business team in October 2007 to work on the resolving insolvency indicator. She currently leads the Paying Taxes indicator and prior to that she was leading the research team for the getting credit (credit information) indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Nasr worked for 2 years in political economics research specific to the Middle East and North Africa region at the American University of Beirut. Ms. Nasr is the author of numerous published articles on financial and research economics. Ms. Nasr holds a Bachelor's degree in economics and finance and a Master degree in financial economics, both from the American University of Beirut. Ms. Nasr holds also an advanced postgraduate degree in government (comparative politics) from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she was a Chevening scholar. She speaks French and Arabic.
Marie-Jeanne Ndiaye joined the Doing Business team in May 2011 as a Program Assistant. She is currently the Sr. Program Assistant overseeing the administrative workprogram of the Doing Business unit. Prior to joining Doing Business, she spent four years in the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) as a Program Assistant working with the team evaluating World Bank Group human development projects. Marie-Jeanne's previous professional experiences include eight years in Operations in the Africa Region, most of which as Trust Fund Coordinator and Portfolio Monitoring Coordinator. She speaks French and is conversant in Spanish.
Albert Nogués i Comas joined the Doing Business team in April 2016. He is currently the Topic Team Leader for the Contracting with the Government indicator. He previously covered the Registering Property indicator. Albert holds an LLM in International and European Law from the University of Amsterdam, and a double degree in Law and Economics from the University Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. Prior to joining the Doing Business team, Albert practiced law for five years as an administrative lawyer in Barcelona, including three years in Garrigues law firm covering areas such as Urban Planning, Public Procurement and Competition law. He also spent four months at the European Union Delegation to the United States in Washington DC, focusing on international trade relations. Albert speaks Catalan, Spanish and French.
Nadia Novik joined the Doing Business team in March 2013. She currently leads Getting Credit – Credit Information indicator and previously covered the Starting a Business and the Paying Taxes Indicators. Prior to working on International Development at the World Bank, Mrs. Novik worked in the private sector in Ukraine at PwC as a Tax Consultant specialized in international taxation and structuring. She also interned at the Department of International Relations of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine. Mrs. Novik holds a master’s degree in International Business Management and a Bachelor's degree in International Economics from the Kyiv National Economic University. More recently, she completed a series of statistics and computer programming classes at the Harvard Extension School. Mrs. Novik is fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, Italian and is conversant in German and Spanish.
Lodovico Onofri joined the Doing Business team in January 2020. He currently works on the Dealing with Construction Permits indicator. Prior to that, he interned with the same team working on the preparation of the Doing Business 2020 report. Mr. Onofri holds a Bachelor degree in Business Management and a Master in International & Public Economics from Bocconi University in Milan. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Lodovico worked in the corporate finance division of an Italian multinational company operating in the electricity sector. He speaks Italian and Spanish.
Enrique Orellana joined the Doing Business team in March 2018 and currently works on the Dealing with Construction Permits indicator. He previously worked on initiatives focused on environmental regulations and to regulating digital businesses for the World Bank’s Indicator Development team. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Enrique worked at the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) on private sector development research and data analysis. Enrique received his Master’s degree in International Business and Commerce from Georgetown University, he also holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de Mexico (ITAM). He speaks Spanish and French. He is currently based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Aleksandra Popova joined the Doing Business team in August 2018 and currently works on the Enforcing Contracts indicator. She previously worked on the design of the Contracting with the Government indicator. Ms. Popova holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation degree from the University of Washington and an LL.M in International Protection of Human Rights from Kyiv State University. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, she practiced tax law at the U.S. based multinational company. Before that she worked as a lawyer at a leading Ukrainian law firm. Ms. Popova speaks Russian and Ukrainian.
María Antonia Quesada Gámez joined the Doing Business team in March 2014. She leads the Enforcing Contracts indicator and previously led the Resolving Insolvency indicator team. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Quesada Gámez worked as a policy advisor at the European Parliament and at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union. She holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Studies from Georgetown University Law Center where she was a Fulbright scholar, a M.A. in EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies from the College of Europe (Belgium), and a dual Law degree from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (France) and Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain). Ms. Quesada speaks Spanish, French and Portuguese.
Parvina Rakhimova joined the Doing Business team in January 2013. She currently works on the Paying Taxes Indicator. During her first years with the team she covered the Registering Property indicator. She obtained a BA in industrial economics from the Tajik Technical University (Tajikistan). She holds a Master of Science degree in International Strategy and Economics from the St. Andrews University (Scotland) and a Master's degree in International Development Policy from the Duke University (US). Prior to joining the team, she worked at the International Finance Corporation country office in Tajikistan, where she focused on SME development. She speaks Russian.
Julie Ryan joined the Doing Business team in July 2015. She currently works on the Getting Credit – Credit Information indicator and previously worked on the Starting a Business indicator. She formerly worked as an engineering aide in San Diego, California and McLean, Virginia in the sustainable energy sector. She has a master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University, where she worked as a research assistant studying health care outcomes in the United States. Her research topics of interest include access to finance and public debt. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese.
Pierre Yvon Seka joined the Doing Business team in January 2020 and currently works on Credit Information (Getting Credit Indicator). Mr. Seka is currently pursuing his PhD in Economics, International Economics at Howard University. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Pierre worked as a part-time Bookkeeper at VA CPA Services, a full-service accounting firm servicing small businesses, non-profit organizations and government contractors in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Before that, he interned as a Junior Economist at the Department of Economics in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire. He holds a Master of Arts in Economics, Growth and Development from Howard University where he focused his research on comparison of economics policies and outcomes in African countries. He also holds a master’s degree in Political Economics and a bachelor’s degree in Economical Sciences and Management from the Facultés Universitaires Privées d'Abidjan (FUPA), Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire. He speaks French.
Syuzanna Simonyan joined the Doing Business team in February 2019 and currently works on the Protecting Minority Investors indicator. She previously worked on Resolving Insolvency indicator. Before joining the Doing Business team, Ms. Simonyan had worked on Public Accountability Mechanisms Initiative with the World Bank Group. Prior to that, she worked as a Staff Attorney at the American Bar Association’s Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative in Armenia, and as Admissions Coordinator at the American University of Armenia. Ms. Simonyan holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the American University, Washington College of Law, International Legal Studies Program, and Law degree from Gladzor University in Armenia. She speaks Armenian and Russian.
Ines joined the Doing Business team in February 2019 and currently works on the Getting Credit – Legal Rights indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, she worked at the Administrative Tribunal of the Organization of American States, and as a pro bono lawyer for asylum-seekers from Latin America. Before this, Ines worked as an in-house attorney within a major transnational company dealing with legal and regulatory compliance issues and risk mitigation. She also worked as an associate in the two public law departments of top tier local law firms. Ms. Sosa was a Professor at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (Venezuela), where she also obtained her first law degree. She holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Studies from Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Sosa speaks Spanish.
Jayashree Srinivasan joined the Doing Business team in February 2008 to help design the Getting Electricity indicator. She leads the Dealing with Construction Permits indicator, after covering the Getting Electricity indicator for 8 years. Prior to joining Doing Business, Ms. Srinivasan worked in the South Asia Region of the World Bank Group in the Sustainable Development Unit, where she was a part of the Urban and Water team. Before moving to Washington DC in 2002, Ms. Srinivasan worked in the New Delhi office of the World Bank Group with the Rural Development Team. She holds a master's degree in community resource management and extension from Delhi University. She speaks Hindi and Tamil.
Judith Trasancos joined the Doing Business team in January 2018 and currently works on the Registering Property indicator. During past cycles, she was a member of the team in charge of designing the Contracting with the Government indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Trasancos worked for the Government of Catalonia in New York and Banc Sabadell in Barcelona. She holds two masters in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Diplomatic School of Spain and Universitat Pompeu Fabra; a B.A. in Translation and Interpreting; and a postgraduate course in Preparing Tenders for International Organizations from the Organization of Ibero-American States. She speaks Spanish, Catalan, Galician, French and is conversant in Arabic.
Farrukh Umarov joined the Doing Business team in January 2018 and currently works on the Dealing with Construction Permits indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Mr. Umarov worked for Start-Up Nation Central, a non-profit organization, in Tel Aviv, and co-founded a technology skill-building organization in Tajikistan. He also worked for the UN Migration Agency in Tajikistan. Mr. Umarov holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Oxford and a bachelor’s degree in International and Comparative Politics from the American University of Central Asia. He speaks Tajik (Dari/Farsi), Russian, and is conversant in Spanish.
Yulia Valerio joined the Doing Business team in January 2018 and currently works on the Getting Credit – Legal Rights indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Valerio practiced litigation in the US, international arbitration in France, and project finance and international dispute resolution in the Dominican Republic. She has also worked at the IFC’s project Investing Across Borders. Ms. Valerio holds a Masters of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Studies from American University Washington College of Law and a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law. She speaks Russian and is conversant in Spanish.
Rongpeng Yang joined the Doing Business team in February 2018. She currently works on the Trading across Borders indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Yang worked for the Central Bank of China, where she primarily focused on financial regulatory policy. She has also interned with two commercial banks working on cross-border financial transactions and credit risk assessments, respectively. She holds a master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University, and received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan. Ms. Yang speaks Chinese.
Marilyne Youbi joined the Doing Business team in February 2014. She currently works on the Trading Across Borders Indicator and previously worked on the Labor Market Regulation indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Youbi worked as a research assistant for the Center for Urban Progress and Howard University. Most recently, she interned for the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Marilyne holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park and a PhD in International and Development Economics from Howard University. She speaks French.
Inés Zabalbeita Múgica joined the Doing Business team in March 2014 to work on the Trading across Borders indicator. She leads the Trading Across Borders indicator. Prior to joining the team, she worked in private sector development at the Investment Climate Advisory Services Department of the World Bank Group and at the Economic Office of the Spanish Embassy in the United States. Ms. Zabalbeita Múgica holds an MBA from the International University Menéndez Pelayo and a Licentiate Degree in Business Management from the University of the Basque Country and the Catholic University of Leuven. She speaks Spanish.
Gustavo Zanabria joined the Doing Business team in March 2020 and currently works on the Trading Across Borders indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Mr. Zanabria worked at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) where he focused in the areas of regulatory policy and digital government. Before that, Mr. Zanabria worked at the World Bank Group with the Subnational Doing Business team for the project “Doing Business in Colombia 2017”. Mr. Zanabria holds a Master of Arts in Economics and also a Master in Public Administration (MPA) from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of the Pacific (Lima, Perú). He speaks Spanish and Portuguese
Yasmin Zand joined the Doing Business team in 2009 and is the Contributor Manager for the Global Indicators Group, which includes Doing Business, Enabling the Business of Agriculture and Women Business and the Law. She covered Credit Info during a two-year period. She previously worked on media, marketing and communications for the report. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Yasmin was the Deputy Field Director at The Mellman Group, a research-based strategy firm in Washington DC. She also worked on the 2004 United States presidential political campaign. She holds bachelor's degrees in Business Administration and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.B.A. from INSEAD. She speaks Farsi and is conversant in French.
Muqiao Zhang joined the Doing Business team in February 2017. She currently works on the Paying Taxes indicator. She holds a Master of Finance degree from University of Maryland, and received her Bachelor of Business Administration majoring in Finance from Jilin University in China. Prior to joining the Doing Business team, Ms. Zhang worked with Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, DC office, Wealth Management team. She also has a consulting experience with Climate Finance, engaging in financial compliance investigations, and climate and financial risk analysis. She speaks Chinese.
Aigerim Zhanibekova joined the Doing Business team in January 2020 and currently works on the Registering Property indicator. Before joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Zhanibekova worked as a Research Assistant and Statistical Consultant for the George Washington University, where she analyzed financial collapses in 34 countries and consulted in extensive statistical and econometric modeling. Before that, she worked at an economic consulting firm in Washington, DC, where she performed quantitative and qualitative analyses of economic policy issues related to M&A regulatory review, antitrust litigation, damages, and labor disputes in the telecommunications, health insurance and publishing industries. Ms. Zhanibekova is currently completing her Master's degree in Applied Economics from the George Washington University, where she focused her research on female labor force participation around the world. Aigerim was awarded a full-tuition scholarship under the Global Leaders Fellowship given to three highly qualified GW graduate students in Ph.D. and Master's programs. She holds two Bachelor of Science degrees – one in Mathematics and Economics from the University of London, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and another one in Economics from Kazakh British Technical University. She speaks Russian and is conversant in Kazakh.