World Bank President Jim Kim’s surprise decision to resign ignited a race to find his successor. While the United States has held historic control over the appointment, the Trump administration’s policy views could raise questions and concerns. Here are some of the current contenders — some more speculative than others — according to news reports and conversations with credible sources.

1. World Bank President Jim Kim’s
surprise decision to resign ignited a
race to find his successor. While the
United States has held historic
control over the appointment, the
Trump administration’s policy views
could raise questions and concerns.
Here are some of the current
contenders — some more
speculative than others — according
to news reports and conversations
with credible sources.
WHO COULD
BE THE NEXT
WORLD BANK
PRESIDENT?
BY MICHAEL IGOE / DEVEX

2. Fore is currently executive director
at UNICEF. From 2007-2009, during
the George W. Bush administration,
she served as the first female
administrator at the U.S. Agency for
International Development.
After leaving government, Fore
became chairman and CEO at
Holsman International, a
manufacturing and investment
company.
HENRIETTA FORE

3. The current CEO and soon-to-be
interim president of the World Bank,
Georgieva has — by most accounts —
been overseeing the institution’s
operations for months.
For her to retain leadership of the
World Bank would require a break
with the tradition of an American
president — or a deadlock that
prevents a clear pick from emerging.
KRISTALINA
GEORGIEVA

4. Currently USAID administrator, Green
has held multiple leadership roles
with development organizations and
served as U.S. ambassador to Tanzania
from 2007-2009.
Green, a former U.S. representative
from Wisconsin, has so far managed to
maintain the support of the U.S.
development community, despite
Trump’s repeated attempts to slash
foreign assistance spending.
MARK GREEN

5. Already a veteran of the Trump
administration, Haley served as U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations
from January 2017 to October 2018.
Her resignation from that role sparked
questions about whether she might
challenge Trump for the presidency in
2020, which she has denied.
Haley was the first female governor of
South Carolina, and the second
Indian-American governor in the U.S.
NIKKI HALEY

6. Kimmitt served as deputy treasury
secretary under George W. Bush from
2005-2009. After former World Bank
President Paul Wolfowitz quit in 2007,
Kimmitt was floated as a potential
successor.
“I’m flattered to be associated with an
institution like the World Bank,” he
said at the time.
ROBERT KIMMITT

7. Currently under secretary of the
treasury for international affairs,
Malpass has already played a large
role in steering the Trump
administration’s priorities for the
World Bank.
America’s support for Jim Kim’s
capital increase came with strings
attached, and Malpass is one of the
people pulling those strings —
including internal reforms and a
harder line on lending to China.
DAVID MALPASS

8. Perennially among Forbes’ most
powerful women, Nooyi stepped down
as CEO of PepsiCo in October 2018
after 12 years.
Nooyi is reported to be among Ivanka
Trump’s picks to lead the World Bank,
though there are questions about
whether she would accept the
nomination.
INDRA NOOYI

9. Nigeria’s former finance minister and a
25-year veteran of the World Bank,
Okonjo-Iweala secured broad
shareholder support when she ran for
World Bank president in 2012, but
ultimately lost to American candidate
Jim Kim.
Now a U.S. citizen, Okonjo-Iweala
could challenge for the position once
again — or the Trump administration
could nominate her.
NGOZI OKONJO-
IWEALA

10. A partner at Goldman Sachs, Powell
joined the Trump team during the
transition and served as deputy national
security adviser. She helped author the
administration’s national security
strategy before leaving in early 2018.
Powell was a leading contender to
replace Nikki Haley as U.N. ambassador
but withdrew from consideration. An
alumnus of the George W. Bush
administration, she is viewed as a
relative moderate among Trump
advisers.
DINA POWELL

11. Rice served as secretary of state and
national security adviser under George
W. Bush, and her support for the
invasion of Iraq in 2003 could prove
controversial.
She is currently a professor of political
science at Stanford University and a
founding partner of RiceHadleyGates
LLC., an international strategic
consulting firm.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE

12. Washburne is CEO of the Overseas
Private Investment Corp., a U.S. agency
that facilitates American investment
in developing countries.
Under the Trump administration, OPIC
is being restructured into a larger U.S.
development finance corporation,
which proponents hope will be a key
tool for the U.S. to compete with
China’s growing influence and
investment.
RAY WASHBURNE