Robert Zoellick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Zoellick
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| 11th President of the World Bank Group | |
| In office July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Wolfowitz |
| Succeeded by | Jim Yong Kim |
| 14th United States Deputy Secretary of State | |
| In office February 23, 2005 – June 19, 2006 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Richard Armitage |
| Succeeded by | John Negroponte |
| 13th United States Trade Representative | |
| In office February 7, 2001 – February 22, 2005 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Charlene Barshefsky |
| Succeeded by | Rob Portman |
| White House Deputy Chief of Staff | |
| In office August 23, 1992 – January 20, 1993 |
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| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Henson Moore |
| Succeeded by | Mark Gearan |
| 12th Undersecretary of State for Economic and Agricultural Affairs | |
| In office May 20, 1991 – August 23, 1992 |
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| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Dick McCormack |
| Succeeded by | Joan Spero |
| 24th Counselor of the United States Department of State | |
| In office March 2, 1989 – August 23, 1992 |
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| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Max Kampelman |
| Succeeded by | Tim Wirth |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Bruce Zoellick
July 25, 1953 Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Sherry Ferguson Zoellick |
| Education | Swarthmore College (BA) Harvard University (JD, MPP) |
Robert Bruce Zoellick (born July 25, 1953) is an American public official and lawyer. He is best known for being the 11th President of the World Bank Group. He held this important job from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2012.
Before leading the World Bank, he worked in several high-level government roles. These included being the United States Deputy Secretary of State and the U.S. Trade Representative. He also worked for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. After his time at the World Bank, he became a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School.
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Early Life and Education
Robert Zoellick was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois. His parents were Gladys and William T. Zoellick. His family had German roots, and he was raised in the Lutheran faith.
He grew up in Naperville, Illinois. In 1971, he finished high school at Naperville Central High School.
In 1975, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Swarthmore College. Later, in 1981, he received two degrees from Harvard University. He earned a law degree (J.D.) from Harvard Law School and a Master of Public Policy degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Robert Zoellick's Career
Early Legal Work
After finishing law school, Zoellick worked as a law clerk. From 1982 to 1983, he assisted Judge Patricia Wald. She worked at the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Government Service (1985–1992)
Zoellick began working in government in 1985. He was a special assistant to the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury. Later, he became an advisor to United States Secretary of the Treasury James Baker.
He helped with George H. W. Bush's presidential campaign in 1988. During Bush's presidency, Zoellick continued to work closely with James Baker. Baker was then the Secretary of State.
Zoellick served as a Counselor at the United States Department of State. He also worked as the Under Secretary of State for Economic and Agricultural Affairs. He was a key person for the U.S. at the G7 Economic Summits.
He played an important role in the talks about German reunification. For his efforts, Germany gave him a high honor, the Knight Commander's Cross. He also helped shape the NAFTA trade agreement. In 1992, he became the White House Deputy Chief of Staff.
Work Outside Government (1993–2001)
After leaving government, Zoellick worked at Fannie Mae. He was an Executive Vice President and General Counsel there.
He also taught at the United States Naval Academy. He was a research scholar at Harvard University. From 1999 to 2001, he was a Senior International Advisor for Goldman Sachs.
He was a board member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He also led the Aspen Strategy Group. He briefly served as president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
In the 2000 United States presidential election, he advised George W. Bush on foreign policy. He was part of a group called "The Vulcans." He also helped with the vote recount in Florida.
U.S. Trade Representative (2001–2005)
President George W. Bush chose Zoellick to be the U.S. Trade Representative. He started this job on February 7, 2001. This made him a member of the President's Cabinet.
In this role, he helped bring China and Taiwan into the World Trade Organization (WTO). He also worked to start new global trade talks in Doha, Qatar. He helped pass trade agreements with Jordan and Vietnam. He also worked with Congress on the Trade Act of 2002.
Zoellick strongly supported the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). He also played a key part in a dispute with the European Union about genetically modified foods. He argued that biotech food helps feed hungry people and protects the environment.
Deputy Secretary of State (2005–2006)
On January 7, 2005, President Bush nominated Zoellick as Deputy Secretary of State. He took office on February 22, 2005.
He had a big impact on the Bush administration's policies toward China. He encouraged China to become a "responsible stakeholder" in the world. This meant China should help keep the international system stable.
Zoellick also led U.S. efforts in the Darfur conflict peace process. He visited Sudan four times to push for an agreement. He helped create the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement.
He left his role as Deputy Secretary of State in June 2006. He then returned to Goldman Sachs as Vice Chairman, International.
President of the World Bank (2007–2012)
On May 30, 2007, President George W. Bush nominated Zoellick to lead the World Bank. He became the President on July 1, 2007.
At the World Bank, he focused on "inclusive and sustainable globalization." This meant helping the poorest countries, especially in Africa. He also worked on problems in countries coming out of conflict.
During his time, the World Bank increased its lending to help countries during the global financial crisis. They also increased aid for the famine in the Horn of Africa. He helped get more money for the International Development Association (IDA). This fund lends to the poorest countries.
He also reformed how the World Bank was governed. This gave developing countries more say. Zoellick promoted using open data and hiring more senior officials from developing countries. He also worked on climate change issues.
Zoellick finished his term as World Bank president on June 30, 2012.
After the World Bank
After leaving the World Bank, Zoellick became a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School in July 2012. He also served as Chairman of International Advisors to Goldman Sachs again.
In 2012, he was chosen to lead the national security part of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign team. Romney was a Republican candidate.
Zoellick is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also part of the Trilateral Commission and the Bilderberg Group. He chairs the Global Tiger Initiative. He is also on the Global Leadership Council of Mercy Corps.
Since 2013, he has been on the board of directors for the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He also joined the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace board in 2018. In 2017, he joined Brunswick Group, a global communications firm. He became an independent director of Robinhood in 2021.
He has been a trustee for the Wildlife Conservation Society. He also advised the World Wildlife Fund. From 2013 to 2023, he was a board member of Temasek Holdings, a large investment company from Singapore.
He was on the board of Twitter from 2018 until Elon Musk bought the company in 2022.
Honors and Awards
Robert Zoellick has received many awards for his public service. He received the Secretary's Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor from the Department of State. He also got the Alexander Hamilton Award from the Department of the Treasury. The Department of Defense gave him the Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
In 1992, Germany honored him with the Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit. This was for his important work on German reunification. In 2002, he received an honorary degree from Saint Joseph's College.
Mexico and Chile also gave him their highest honors for non-citizens. These were the Aztec Eagle and the Order of Merit. These awards recognized his work on free trade, development, and the environment. In 2016, he received the Annenberg Award for Excellence in Diplomacy. He also received the Bill Frenzel Champion of Free Trade Award in 2017.
Views on Global Issues
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In a 2000 essay, Zoellick talked about Republican foreign policy ideas. He stressed the importance of strength and working with allies. He also noted that some groups might not respond to reason. He believed the U.S. must be ready to defeat enemies who seek to harm it.
He suggested that the G20 group of leading economies should consider a global reserve currency. This currency could be based on gold. He wrote about this idea in the Financial Times in 2010.
Zoellick wrote a book in 2020 called America in the World: A History of U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy. In this book, he discusses five main traditions that have shaped U.S. foreign policy. These include focusing on North America, trade, alliances, public support, and America's purpose.
Personal Life
Robert Zoellick married Sherry Lynn Ferguson in 1980. They live in McLean, Virginia.
See also
In Spanish: Robert Zoellick para niños
- The Keynesian Resurgence of 2008 / 2009
