World Bank’s Country Manager for Azerbaijan has changed – EXCLUSIVE

The World Bank’s country manager for Azerbaijan has changed.
elchi reports that, according to information obtained by APA from the bank, Stefanie Stallmeister has stepped down as the World Bank’s country manager for Azerbaijan effective July 1 of this year due to the expiration of her term. She was appointed to this position on July 1, 2023.
According to the information, Sacha Backes has been appointed as the new World Bank country manager for Azerbaijan. He will begin his duties in August of this year.
It should be noted that prior to this appointment, Sacha Backes was a senior investment officer in the Manufacturing, Agribusiness, and Services team for Europe at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.
Backes has been with the IFC for over 17 years. He spent the first 12 years of this period working in the Natural Resources and Infrastructure team in the London, Washington, and Johannesburg offices, primarily leading projects in the African region.
Before joining the IFC, he worked for seven years at Lux-Development, the executive agency for development aid of the Luxembourg government. During this time, he managed integrated rural development projects focused on agribusiness and rural infrastructure in Laos.
Sacha Backes holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from INSEAD Business School.