President of the World Bank Group facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of World Bank Group
World Bank logo
Incumbent Ajay Banga since June 2, 2023
Term length	Five years, renewable

The President of the World Bank Group is the main leader of the World Bank Group. This person is in charge of running meetings for the bank's leaders and managing the entire World Bank Group. Think of them as the CEO of a very important global organization that helps countries develop.

The person chosen for this job needs to be approved by the bank's Board of Executive Directors. They serve for five years and can be chosen again. Traditionally, the World Bank Group president has always been an American citizen. This is because the United States is the bank's biggest shareholder. At the same time, the head of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) is usually a European citizen. While many presidents have worked in economics, some have come from other fields.

The current president is Ajay Banga. He started his term on June 2, 2023.

Who Leads the World Bank Group?

The World Bank Group has had many leaders over the years. These presidents come from different backgrounds, but they all work to help the bank achieve its goals.

Past Presidents and Their Roles

Here is a list of the people who have served as president of the World Bank Group:

Status

     This color means an acting president

#	Picture	Name	When They Served	From	What They Did Before
1	Eugene Meyer	Meyer, EugeneEugene Meyer	June 18, 1946 – December 18, 1946	United States	Investor and newspaper publisher
2	John J. McCloy	McCloy, John J.John J. McCloy	March 17, 1947 – June 30, 1949	United States	Government official during World War II
3	Eugene R. Black Sr.	Black Sr., Eugene R.Eugene R. Black Sr.	July 1, 1949 – December 31, 1962	United States	Bank executive
4	George Woods	Woods, GeorgeGeorge Woods	January 1, 1963 – March 31, 1968	United States	Investment banker
5	Robert McNamara	McNamara, RobertRobert McNamara	April 1, 1968 – June 30, 1981	United States	Business executive and U.S. Secretary of Defense
6	Alden W. Clausen	Clausen, Alden W.Alden W. Clausen	July 1, 1981 – June 30, 1986	United States	Bank president and CEO
7	Barber Conable	Conable, BarberBarber Conable	July 1, 1986 – August 31, 1991	United States	U.S. Representative
8	Lewis T. Preston	Preston, Lewis T.Lewis T. Preston	September 1, 1991 – May 4, 1995	United States	Bank executive
–	Ernest Stern	Stern, ErnestErnest Stern Acting	February 1, 1995 – May 31, 1995	United States	Managing Director of the World Bank
9	James Wolfensohn	Wolfensohn, JamesJames Wolfensohn	June 1, 1995 – May 31, 2005	United States	Corporate lawyer and investment banker
10	Paul Wolfowitz	Wolfowitz, PaulPaul Wolfowitz	June 1, 2005 – June 30, 2007	United States	U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense
11	Robert Zoellick	Zoellick, RobertRobert Zoellick	July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2012	United States	Bank executive and government official
12	Jim Yong Kim	Kim, Jim YongJim Yong Kim	July 1, 2012 – February 1, 2019	United States	Doctor, anthropologist, and college president
–	Kristalina Georgieva	Georgieva, KristalinaKristalina Georgieva Acting	February 1, 2019 – April 8, 2019	Bulgaria	CEO of the World Bank and European Commissioner
13	David Malpass	Malpass, DavidDavid Malpass	April 9, 2019–June 1, 2023	United States	Economist and U.S. government official
14	Ajay Banga	Banga, AjayAjay Banga	June 2, 2023–present	United States	Business executive