WASHINGTON, July 30, 2026 — The World Bank Group (WBG) has appointed Lisa Finneran as Vice President for Partnerships, Innovation and Mobilization (PIM), effective September 1, 2026.
The Vice Presidency, housed under the Chief Knowledge Officer, leads the World Bank Group’s work on mobilizing resources for the International Development Association (IDA), the WBG fund for the poorest countries; managing partnerships, including trust funds, financial intermediary funds, and co-financing; and accelerating the WBG’s innovation pipeline. In her new role, Finneran will lead the IDA22 replenishment in 2027 while overseeing implementation of the almost $100 billion made available through the IDA21 replenishment.
“Partnerships, Innovation and Mobilization bring together the tools that allow the Bank to turn donor ambition into real resources for countries. I’m honored to take on this role at such a critical moment in development. I look forward to working with partners and colleagues, old and new, to keep expanding what’s possible for those we serve,” said Finneran.
An Irish national, Finneran has 24 years of experience at the World Bank Group and previously served as Director of IDA from 2014 to 2017. She brings a combination of leadership, technical expertise, operational experience, and a strong track record of working with development partners. Finneran currently serves as Director of Innovation at the World Bank Group.
Previously, she served as Director for Strategy and Operations in the Office of the Managing Director for Operations, helping steer the World Bank Group’s operational response as it significantly expanded support to client countries during the COVID-19 crisis.
During her tenure as Director for IDA, the institution underwent a historic transformation with the development and launch of IDA’s hybrid financing model, combining donor contributions with capital market financing to substantially expand support for client countries. This period also introduced several landmark innovations, including the IDA Private Sector Window.
Finneran succeeds Akihiko Nishio, who is retiring after a distinguished 38-year career at the World Bank Group. Throughout his career, Nishio held a series of senior operational and leadership positions across regions and global practices. Most recently, he led the successful IDA21 replenishment and strengthened the Bank’s partnerships and resource mobilization efforts to expand development impact.
READ MORE: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/07/31/world-bank-appoints-lisa-finneran-as-vice-president-for-partnerships-innovation-an
