African Shapers - Originally from Mauritania, his appointment is effective July 1, 2020. In this role, he will lead the World Bank's relations with 22 countries and oversee a portfolio of projects, technical assistance and financial resources worth more than $38 billion.

Ousmane Diagana, explains the World Bank, is recognized as an organizational leader, a personal mentor and a professional role model. He brings to this position an in-depth knowledge of Bank Group operations, a reputation for innovative and strategic thinking, proven managerial skills and a country office perspective.

Prior to this appointment, Ousmane Diagana was Vice President of Human Resources at the World Bank Group, the first African to hold this position.

In this capacity, it is explained, he provided overall strategic leadership on human resources issues to the entire World Bank Group and oversaw the development and implementation of the HR management strategy. World Bank Group human resources and human resources policies, programs and services. From October 2015 to January 2018, he served as Vice President for Ethics and Business Conduct (EBC) and Chief Ethics Officer of the World Bank Group.

Previously, Ousmane Diagana served as World Bank Country Director for Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Benin, Guinea and Togo, based in Abidjan. Long before, he held the position of Country Director for Mali, Niger, Chad and Guinea, based in Bamako.

In October 2000, he was assigned to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region where he successively held the position of Senior Education Sector Specialist. Between 2006 and 2009, Ousmane Diagana was Country Director in Niger and from 2004 to 2006 he was Program Coordinator in Morocco. In this capacity, he effectively led various multidisciplinary teams to implement innovative strategies and operations such as in Yemen and Djibouti, including in fragile and conflict-affected countries. In 2009, Ousmane Diagana received the Good Manager Award from the World Bank Group Staff Association in recognition of his leadership skills.

Ousmane Diagana joined the World Bank in 1992 as operations officer in the Cotonou office in Benin. Until 2000, he worked and led technical teams for the World Bank in several countries including Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.

He holds a postgraduate degree, finance and taxation option from the National School of Administration in Dakar, Senegal; a Master's degree in economics from the University of Dakar, option planning, economic analysis and development. He has also taken specialist courses at the Sussex Institute of Economic Development (UK) and Harvard in the USA and holds a certificate in education policy and analysis. He speaks Soninke, Fulani, Wolof