World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick announced on Thursday the appointment of Kristalina Georgieva as vice president and corporate secretary, and Hasan Tuluy as vice president for human resources.

Georgieva, a Bulgarian national, will take up her position on March 10, 2008, and will head the corporate secretariat which serves as interlocutor between the World Bank Board of executive directors and bank management, according to a statement released by the World Bank.

Georgieva, currently director for strategy and operations in the World Bank Sustainable Development Network, joined the Bank in1993 as an environmental economist in the Europe and Central Asia region.

Her other positions have included director for environment and social development in the East Asia and Pacific Region and country director for the Russian Federation.

Prior to joining the World Bank, Georgieva held a range of academic and consulting positions in Bulgaria and the United States. She holds a Ph. D in economics and an M. A. in political economy and sociology from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Tuluy, a Turkish national and joined the World Bank in 1987 as an economist in the Africa region, will take up his position on March 11, 2008, said the statement.

Tuluy has held various positions in the Bank since that he joined the bank, including senior environmental economist in the Europe, Middle East and North Africa Region; principal country officer for many African and Middle East nations.

He is currently chief operating officer of the World Bank Group's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).

Prior to joining the Bank, Tuluy worked as advisor to the Ministries of Agriculture in Morocco, Tunisia, Madagascar, and Guinea. He holds a Ph.D. in development economics/trade from the Fletcher School, Tufts University.
 
(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2008)