Makhtar Diop portrait
Makhtar Diop




Makhtar Diop is the Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, and the largest global development institution focused on the private sector. 

As the head of IFC, Mr. Diop is focused on mobilizing investments and private sector development in emerging and developing economies to ensure a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future. His priorities include addressing the intertwined issues of poverty and climate change, promoting social inclusion, creating opportunities for women and girls, and connecting emerging markets with the digital economy. Last year, under his leadership, IFC committed a record US$33 billion to private companies and financial institutions in emerging and developing economies.
 
Mr. Diop has served in leadership positions in both the public and private sectors throughout his distinguished career, giving him unique insights into global development from every side of the table.

An economist by training, he started his career in the banking industry before joining the International Monetary Fund. He went on to become the Minister of Economy and Finance in Senegal, making him the youngest person to hold this position in his country. During his career, he has been at the forefront of innovation.   During his tenure, he initiated the first “Sovereign Credit Rating” in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa), a groundbreaking approach for tapping the capital markets, which was replicated in many countries in Africa.  He joined the World Bank Group in 2001, where he held various positions, most recently as Vice President for Infrastructure and, prior to this, as Vice President for Africa, where he oversaw the delivery of a record-breaking US$70 billion to Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, he has extensive experience in Latin America and lived in Brazil, where he led World Bank operations and policy dialogue. Throughout his career, he has consistently worked to bridge the gap between academia and policymakers and has built strong relationships with prominent economists, including Nobel Prize laureates.

Mr. Diop views development as multidimensional and recognizes the importance of culture in driving economic growth and social progress. A collaborative and creative leader, Mr. Diop strives to bring new and diverse voices into the global development conversation. A prime example is Creative Development, a podcast he created and hosts that explores how economic development influences—and is influenced by—creative industries. He was an accomplished athlete in his youth and represented his country in many international competitions in Karate. As a member of Olympism365, a commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), he is dedicated to promoting sports as a tool to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  
 
A recognized thought leader in the economics and social development fields, Mr. Diop, has been named one of the most influential Africans in the world. In 2015, he received the prestigious Regents’ Lectureship Award from the University of California, Berkeley. He holds degrees in economics from the Universities of Warwick and Nottingham in England and in Finance from Paris.