The former executive director of the Bank Information Center (BIC) has joined WRI as its new executive vice president and managing director. Manish Bapna, the former executive director of the Bank Information Center (BIC), has joined the World Resources Institute (WRI) as its new executive vice president and managing director.
In his new role, he will be responsible for implementing WRI’s strategic goals of protecting the Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for future generations. Mr. Bapna’s experience in the non-profit, multilateral, and private sectors, as well as his transformative role at BIC, equip him with the breadth and depth to advance WRI’s dedication to results-driven management.
“The urgency of the world’s environmental problems, and their inescapable link to global development and poverty, require the NGO community to deliver solutions that work” said Jonathan Lash, president of WRI. “Manish has the deft hand and substantive expertise to guide WRI’s operations toward the solutions we need.”
As BIC executive director, Bapna provided leadership for the organization’s mission to protect rights and promote sustainability in the projects and policies of international financial institutions. Bapna presided over considerable growth at BIC, including increases in its staff, funding and influence.
He is a recognized expert on the poverty-environment nexus, and on the transparency and accountability of global institutions. Mr. Bapna has periodically testified before the U.S. Congress on the effectiveness of development aid and is a regularly quoted source in leading international newspapers.
Prior to BIC, Mr. Bapna served as a senior economist at the World Bank. He led multidisciplinary teams in the design and implementation of rural development projects in Asia and Latin America - with a particular focus on the sustainable and equitable use of natural resources. Mr. Bapna also worked as a strategy consultant for McKinsey & Company and as an advisor for several nonprofit development groups including Seva Mandir and Women’s World Banking.
Mr. Bapna has an MBA and an MPA from Harvard University and a SB from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Geeta, recently had their first child, a daughter named Laila, in May 2007.
The World Resources Institute is an environmental think tank that goes beyond research to create practical ways to protect the earth and improve people's lives.
For more information on WRI events, publications, research projects and experts, contact:
