Doing Business Alumni

We wish to acknowledge the following Doing Business alumni who helped build this project.

Bekhzod Abdurazzakov

Bekhzod Abdurazzakov worked on the Doing Business 2004 -- Understanding Regulations report.
Goran Amidzic
Goran Amidzic joined the Subnational Doing Business team in September 2010. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, he worked for USAID assessing fiscal capacity, institutional sustainability and jurisdictional overlaps in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2008, Goran also worked as a business analyst with Temasek Holdings in Singapore where he assessed political risk of several M&A deals. Goran has a Bachelor's degree in International Economics and Finance from Davis and Elkins College and three masters’ degrees in Economics, International Relations and Public Administration from Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, specializing in emerging markets development and international trade. He is fluent in Croatian, Serbian, Spanish and some French.
Beatriz Mejia Asserias
Beatriz Mejia Asserias joined the Doing Business team in January 2011 to work on the Dealing with Construction Permits indicator. She holds a Master's degree in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she was a Chevening Scholar. Before joining the World Bank Group, she worked for the Colombian government as an Advisor in issues such as entrepreneurship, local economic development, angel and venture capital regulation. She speaks Portuguese and in conversant in French.
Ziad Azar

Ziad Azar worked on Doing Business 2004 -- Understanding Regulations, Doing Business 2005 -- Removing Obstacles to Growth and Doing Business 2006 -- Creating Jobs.
Teymour Abdel Aziz
Teymour Abdel Aziz joined the Doing Business team in 2007 and worked on the Starting a Business, Credit Information, and Trading Across Borders indicators. Mr. Aziz holds a masters degree in economics and business administration from the University of Zurich and a masters degree in European economic studies from the College of Europe. Prior to joining the Doing Business team, he worked at UBS, analyzing political, regulatory and economic developments relevant to the financial services industry. A Swiss and Egyptian national, he is fluent in German, French and Arabic.
Svetlana Bagaudinova
Svetlana Bagaudinova, a senior private sector development specialist, joined the Doing Business team in 2006. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Bagaudinova worked at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she specialized in energy and infrastructure projects. Ms. Bagaudinova holds a master's degree in sociology from Moscow State University and a master's degree in international business from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She speaks Russian and is conversant in Spanish.
José A. Becerra
José A. Becerra joined the Doing Business team in February 2010 to work on the Starting a Business indicator. Previously, he worked in the Directorate General for Enterprises and Industry of the European Commission in Brussels. He also worked as a Young Professional in the Private Sector Development Section of the EU Delegation to Algeria. Mr. Becerra holds a degree in business administration from ICADE, Madrid (Spain), and a master's degree in European economic studies from the College of Europe, Bruges (Belgium). Mr. Becerra speaks Spanish, French, and Portuguese and is conversant in German and Dutch.
Mema Beye
Mema Beye joined the Doing Business team in January 2007 and worked on the Trading Across Borders, Getting Credit (Information Index) and Closing a Business indicators. Mr. Beye has a broad background with business development and investment policy advisory, both in the United States and in Africa. Mr. Beye holds a bachelor's degree in food industry management from Michigan State and a master's in International Business Management from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He speaks French and Portuguese.
Ghanem-Redouane Benamadi
Ghanem-Redouane Benamadi worked on Doing Business 2004 -- Understanding Regulations and Doing Business 2006 -- Creating Jobs.
Vivian Callaghan

Vivian Callaghan worked on the Doing Business 2006 -- Creating Jobs report.
Mariana Carvalho
Mariana Carvalho joined the Doing Business team in April 2011 to work on the Getting Credit – Credit Information indicator. She holds a Master’s degree in International Business from Essec Business School in France and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from FDC and PUC Minas in Brazil. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, she worked as a Corporate Strategy Analyst in GDF Suez, conducting competitive and strategic studies in the energy sector, and as a Business Analyst in the Pharmaceutical and Retail sectors. She is fluent in Portuguese, French and is conversant in Spanish.
Doina Cebotari
Doina Cebotari joined the Doing Business Team in 2006. She holds a BA in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University and a MA in international development and international economics from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to working at the World Bank, she interned at Deutsche Bank in London, the Chisinau offices of the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Moldovan National Radio Station. Ms. Cebotari is a citizen of the Republic of Moldova and speaks Romanian, Russian, French, and Italian.
Yanni Chen
Yanni Chen worked on the Doing Business 2004 -- Understanding Regulations report.
Roger Coma-Cunill
Roger Coma-Cunill joined the Doing Business team in September 2007. He led the research on the Registering Property indicator for the Doing Business report. Roger holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University in New York, a Master of Arts in European Political and Administrative Studies from the College of Europe in Belgium and a post-graduate degree in International Relations from the Sorbonne University in Paris. Before joining the Doing Business team, Roger worked in the Sustainable Development network of the World Bank He has also worked as an EU policy consultant in Brussels in key regulatory issues affecting the private sector. Roger speaks French, Spanish and Catalan, and is conversational in Italian.
Sarah Cuttaree
Sarah Cuttaree joined the Doing Business team in August 2008 to work on the Enforcing Contracts indicator. She is a barrister-at-law, admitted to the Bar of England and Wales (Lincoln's Inn) and the Bar of Mauritius. She read law at the University of Warwick (U.K.) and also holds a Master of Laws degree in Financial and Securities Regulation from Georgetown University (U.S.). As a litigation and transactional lawyer, Ms. Cuttaree has professional experience in business regulations and commercial transactions in developing countries, including Mauritius and the Indian Ocean region. She speaks French.
Hania Dawood
Hania Dawood , a national of Jordan, joined the Doing Business team in 2006. Before joining Doing Business she spent a year at the International Monetary Fund, working on macroeconomic policy issues for Nigeria and Angola. Hania graduated from the Dual Degree Program at the University of Pennsylvania in 2005, majoring in finance at the Wharton School and political science at the College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to that, Hania lived in Jordan and Bahrain. She speaks English, Arabic, French and some Farsi.
Jacqueline den Otter
Jacqueline den Otter joined the Doing Business team in March 2006 and worked on the Trading Across Borders indicator. She previously worked in the World Bank's Netherlands executive director's office, dealing with constituency countries, ministries, and embassies. Ms. den Otter holds a master's degree in international commerce and policy, as well as a bachelor's degree in business administration (finance) from George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia. She lived in Italy and Brazil, and speaks Dutch, Italian and Spanish.
Allen Dennis
Allen Dennis joined the Doing Business team in 2005 on his second rotation as a Young Professional. He led the Trading Across Borders component of Doing Business Project. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Mr. Dennis served as an Economic Affairs Officer with the World Trade Organization, in the Trade Policy Review Division. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. Mr. Dennis has academic publications in the area of International Trade and Development.
Simeon Djankov
Simeon Djankov is the creator of the Doing Business series. He is currently the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in Bulgaria. In his 11 years at the World Bank, he has worked on regional trade agreements in North Africa, enterprise restructuring and privatization in transition economies, corporate governance in East Asia, and regulatory reforms around the world. Simeon was a principal author of the World Development Report 2002. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and has published over 60 articles in academic journals, including in Quarterly Journal of Economics, American Economic Review, Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Public Economics, and Journal of Comparative Economics.
Gabriela Enrigue
Gabriela Enrigue, a Mexican national, joined Doing Business Subnational team in June 2008. She holds undergraduate degrees in Economics and Political Science from ITAM and a Masters degree in Public Policy from UC Berkeley. She founded the M&E unit at the Mexican Supreme Court and developed indicators to evaluate courts performance both at the federal and state level around Mexico. She has received the Banamex National Economics Award (2006) and is an Echoing Green fellow for social entrepreneurship (2008). She speaks Spanish and French.
Margherita Fabbri
Margherita Fabbri joined the Doing Business team in December 2010 and she is working on the Paying Taxes indicator. She holds a Master’s Degree in Advanced Development Economics and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economic Development and International Cooperation, both from the University of Florence. Prior to joining the Doing Business team, Ms. Fabbri worked in some non-governmental organizations in Bosnia, Kosovo and Peru, where she focused on the empowerment of the private sector and on gender projects. She also worked in Belgium as a researcher and in Rome as a web-journalist for the Italian broadcast Radio Radicale. She speaks Italian and Spanish and is conversant in French.
Zai Fanai
Zai Fanai worked on the Doing Business 2004 -- Understanding Regulations report.
Penelope Fidas
Penelope Fidas joined the Doing Business team in 2005, working principally on the Registering Property indicator set. She has also contributed to regional studies on Mexico, South Asia, Morocco, and Ukraine. Penelope holds a Masters of Science in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. She is fluent in Arabic, French, Greek, Italian and Spanish.
Geronimo Frigerio

Geronimo Frigerio worked on the Doing Business 2004 -- Understanding Regulations report.
Monica Hanssen

Monica Hanssen joined the Doing Business team in 2006 to work on the Registering Property indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group in early 2005, she worked for Bear Stearns, Inc. in New York. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the London School of Economics and an Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of Chicago. Born in Norway, she has lived in the United Arab Emirates and the UK.
Sabine Hertveldt
Sabine Hertveldt, a senior private sector development specialist, joined the Doing Business team in January 2006. Previously, she practiced employment law and investment arbitration for seven years with Allen & Overy LLP in Brussels and White & Case LLP in Washington, DC. She obtained a law degree from Ghent Law School (Belgium), a DEA/DESE combined Master's degree in European law and politics from the University of Nancy (France), and a Master's degree in law from Columbia Law School (New York). During her studies at Columbia Law School, Ms. Hertveldt was a Fulbright scholar and fellow of the Belgian-American Educational Foundation. Ms. Hertveldt is a member of the Brussels Bar and New York Bar, clerked at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and interned at the United Nations in New York. She speaks Dutch and French and is conversant in Spanish.
Benjamin Horne
Benjamin Horne joined the Doing Business team in 2006. His work primarily focused on the Enforcing Contracts component of the Doing Business report. He has previously worked as a research applications programmer for the Center for Naval Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia. Benjamin served with the Peace Corps as an instructor of courses in business, economic history, and globalization for five semesters including at the American University- Central Asia and the Academy of Management under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic. Benjamin completed his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Economic Analysis at Rice University in 2002. A master's degree in applied economics is expected from Johns Hopkins University in May 2007.
Manuel García Huitrón
Manuel García Huitrón joined the Doing Business team in August 2007. A Mexican national, he worked from 1996 to 1997 as an advisor to the Ministry of Finance of the Federal District in Mexico. He later joined Afore XXI, where he headed the project "Studies in the Economics of Mexican Cities." From 2002 to 2005, he was an associate research scholar at the International Institute for Corporate Governance at the Yale School of Management, where he helped construct the labor indicator for the Doing Business Project. From 2005 to mid 2007 he was an adjunct professor of economics at the Catholic University of Chile and the Adolfo Ibañez Business School. Manuel holds degrees in economics from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and international and development economics from Yale University. His previous work has been recognized in Mexico with the National Economics Award and internationally with the Interamerican Research Award, among other prizes.
Fakhriyar Jabbarov
Fakhriyar Jabbarov joined the Doing Business team in March 2011 and works on the Resolving Insolvency indicator. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Law from the Baku State University, Azerbaijan and a master’s degree in Public Administration and Public Policy from the University of York, United Kingdom, where he was a Chevening scholar. Mr. Jabbarov started his career as a Legal Counsel with the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan. He also worked as a Legal Manager in the banking sector where he specialized in international business transactions. Prior to joining the Doing Business team Mr. Jabbarov worked as a Legal Advisor for the IFC’s Investment Climate Advisory Services in Baku. He speaks Azerbaijani, Russian and is conversant in Turkish.
Ludmila Jantuan
Ludmila Jantuan joined the Doing Business team in April 2010. Prior to joining the team, Ms. Jantuan spent twelve years at the World Bank Group Country Office in Moldova as a Resource Management Assistant. She holds a bachelor degree in Mathematics’ and Computer Science from the Chisinau State University, Moldova and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Newport University of California, USA. Ludmila speaks Romanian and Russian and Spanish.
Osborne Jackson

Osborne Jackson worked on the Doing Business 2005 -- Removing Obstacles to Growth report.
Melissa Johns
Melissa Johns is an investment policy specialist with the World Bank and a member of the Doing Business team. Before joining the World Bank in 2004, Ms. Johns practiced law with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in its Washington and Tokyo offices, specializing in securities and corporate law. She also served in the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington and with the U.S. Attorney's office in San Diego, California. Ms. Johns holds a Juris Doctorate from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Arts in public policy studies from Duke University. She is fluent in Spanish.
Palarp Jumpasut
Palarp Jumpasut joined the Doing Business team in 2007 to manage relationships with local partners. She holds a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Manchester and a master of science in financial markets from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Before joining the World Bank Group, she worked for SNL Financial, a financial information and research firm.
Joanna Kata-Blackman
Joanna Kata-Blackman worked on Doing Business 2004 -- Understanding Regulations, Doing Business 2005 -- Removing Obstacles to Growth, Doing Business 2006 -- Creating Jobs, and Doing Business 2007 -- How to Reform.
Dahlia Khalifa
Dahlia Khalifa, a senior economist, joined the Doing Business team in June 2007. She has 22 years of experience in economic and policy analysis, investment banking, and strategic communications. Ms. Khalifa has established and managed financial services companies offering corporate finance, brokerage, private equity investing, management consulting, and technical assistance advisory services with an African and Middle Eastern regional focus. She works extensively with non-profit organizations, founded Egypt's International Economic Forum, and served as Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. In addition to her bachelor's and master's degrees in economics and master's degree in international law, she is currently finalizing a doctoral degree in international relations at Georgetown University. Ms. Khalifa has been an adjunct professor at the American University of Cairo and George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs. She speaks Arabic.
Adam Larson
Adam Larson joined the Doing Business team in 2005. He worked on the Employing Workers section of the report. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Statistics, Economics, and Political Science from Rice University. During his undergraduate studies, Adam lived in France, Ghana and at the Universidad Nacional Andrés Bello in Chile. He also worked for the Baker Institute for Public Policy on a project analyzing event data to predict the outbreak of international conflicts. He speaks English, French, Spanish, some Portuguese and Russian.
Eugenia Levine
Eugenia Levine is an Australian lawyer and worked on the Enforcing Contracts team. Ms. Levine holds Bachelor of Laws (Honors) and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Monash University in Australia and a Master of Laws (Honors) degree from Columbia University in New York. Prior to joining the Doing Business team, Ms. Levine worked at a leading Australasian law firm in Melbourne, and with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Moscow. Ms. Levine has also previously interned at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the United States Federal District Court. She speaks fluent Russian and intermediate Spanish.
Julien Levis
Julien Levis is an Attorney at Law (New York Bar). Mr. Levis led the team working on Legal Rights. Before joining the World Bank in 2005, Mr. Levis worked with the law firm Clifford Chance in Paris and with attorneys at the French Supreme Courts (Cour de Cassation and Conseil d'Etat) , specializing in commercial law and civil procedure. He also served in the French Embassy in China and lectured in law both at University of Paris II -Assas and at the Alliance Francaise in Beijing. Mr. Levis holds a Masters in Law from Stanford Law School and a Masters in Theory and Practice of Litigation from University of Paris La Sorbonne. His recent research includes "Adoption of Corporate Social Responsibility Codes by Multinational Companies".
Jean-Philippe Lodugnon-Harding
Jean-Philippe Lodugnon-Harding joined the Doing Business team in April 2011 to work on the Employing Workers indicator. Before joining the World Bank Group, he practiced Project Finance at the law firm Linklaters LLP in Paris, where he focused on infrastructure and energy projects in France and in OHADA countries, and worked in the legal department of the private sector branch of the Agence Francaise de Développement. He holds a LL.B (hons) from the Sheffield Hallam University (UK). He also holds a master’s degree in Business and Competition Law from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (France) and a master's degree in Banking and Finance Law from the University of Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas (France). He speaks French.
Oliver Lorenz
Oliver Lorenz joined the Doing Business team in April 2007 to work on the Enforcing Contracts indicator. Mr. Lorenz studied law in Jena, Berlin, and Paris. Before joining the World Bank, Mr. Lorenz practiced corporate and EU regulatory law in Berlin and Paris. Mr. Lorenz graduated from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris and holds a degree in EU law from Sorbonne University. He speaks German and French.
Marcelo Lu

Marcelo Lu worked on Doing Business 2004 -- Understanding Regulations, Doing Business 2005 -- Removing Obstacles to Growth, and Doing Business 2006 -- Creating Jobs.
Darshini Manraj

Darshini Manraj worked on the Doing Business 2006 -- Creating Jobs report.
Jana Malinska
Jana Malinska is the Investment Policy Officer with the Doing Business Reform and Investment Generation teams based in the Vienna office. Jana has led the subnational Doing Business projects in India and Pakistan and supported business environment reforms in Africa, Eastern and Central Europe and Asia. Prior to joining the World Bank, Jana worked with the Advisory Unit to the Secretary General and the International Investment and Public Sector Performance divisions of the OECD, strategic marketing department of PSA Peugeot Citroen and with CzechInvest, the Czech government agency for investment promotion. Jana was a Young Professional at the OECD. She holds Master degrees in local economic development from the London School of Economics and in international trade and finance from the University of Economics in Prague.
Marialisa Motta
Marialisa Motta became the Manager of the Doing Business Reform Unit, comprising the Doing Business Reform Advisory team and the Doing Business Subnational team, in October 2008. Since joining the Bank as a Young Professional in 1999, Marialisa has helped governments design and implement reforms to improve the environment for doing business. She has worked in Turkey, Bulgaria, Chile, Mexico and Central America, and more recently in Africa. Earlier in her career, Marialisa was a research fellow at Bocconi University in Milan, an entrepreneur in the food sector and a summer associate with the Boston Consulting Group. She holds a master's degree in Business Administration from the Yale School of Management and a degree in Public Management from Bocconi University.
Facundo Martin
Facundo Martin worked on Doing Business 2005 -- Removing Obstacles to Growth and Doing Business 2006 -- Creating Jobs.
Andres F. Martinez
Andres F. Martinez joined the Doing Business team in April 2008 and worked on the Closing a Business indicator. He holds an honors degree in law from the Universidad de Buenos Aires. He also completed a two-year master's degree program in commercial law at the Universidad Austral (Argentina), which included being a visiting scholar at the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver, Colorado. Before he joined the Doing Business team, Mr. Martinez practiced litigation and corporate law at Estudio Beccar Varela in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he was a senior associate representing domestic and international clients. He speaks Spanish.
Caralee McLiesh
Caralee McLiesh was the program manager and co-founder of the Doing Business project. After joining the World Bank as a Young Professional in 2000, she worked in the research group as a principal author on the World Development Report 2002, and then with the Middle East and North Africa region. Prior to joining the World Bank she held positions with the International Red Cross in Botswana and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and with the Boston Consulting Group. She holds a PhD in finance from the University of Melbourne and a bachelor's degree in economics with first class honors from the Australian National University.
Alexandra Mincu
Alexandra Mincu joined the Doing Business team in January 2008 to work on the Protecting Investors indicator. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Law from the University of Bucharest and the Maitrise from University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne. With a considerable focus on the European Union, a Master's Degree in European Union Law and a traineeship with the Legal Service of the European Parliament, Alexandra spent the last two years working for the Romanian administration dealing mainly with institution building EU funded programs. She speaks Romanian, French and Spanish and is conversant in Hungarian.
Janet Morris
Janet Morris led the Employing Workers indicator of the Doing Business project. She holds a law degree from Columbia Law School, where she graduated as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Berkeley, where she was a Regents' Scholar. Prior to joining the World Bank in 2006, she practiced corporate and antitrust law at the Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton law firm in Washington, DC. She is a member of the New York and Washington, DC bars and speaks French, Italian, and Spanish.
Totka Naneva

Totka Naneva worked on the Doing Business 2004 -- Understanding Regulations report.
Sushmitha Narsiah
Sushmitha Narsiah joined the Doing Business team in 2007 to work with the Doing Business gender initiative in collaboration with the World Bank Group's Gender Action Plan. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics from New York University. Prior to joining Doing Business, Ms. Narsiah worked with the Enterprise Analysis Unit at the World Bank. She has also worked for Credit Suisse and Bloomberg Tradebook in New York City.
Nikolay Naumovich

Nikolay Naumovich worked on the Doing Business 2006 -- Creating Jobs report.
Tatiana Nenova
Tatiana Nenova was a member of the initial Doing Business team, and worked on it during 1999-2006, creating the methodology and authoring the DB topics on entry, closure, and corporate governance. Her research and operational work has focused on several private sector areas (corporate governance, insolvency / creditor rights, investment climate / regulatory economics) as well as financial sector areas of work (infrastructure finance, access to finance for the poor, and capital markets), mostly in Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia, Latin America, and South Asia. She holds a Ph.D. in Financial Economics from Harvard University. She is currently working in the Private and Financial sector Department in South Asia.
Ngozi Njemanze
Ngozi Njemanze joined the World Bank in 2006 and has been a member of the Doing Business Reform Unit since August 2009. She holds a law degree from the University of Nigeria and a Masters degree in law from the Harvard Law School where she focused on international finance. Previously, she worked as an attorney with the law firm of Aluko & Oyebode in Nigeria and later served as a Harvard Chayes International Public Service Fellow with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria. Prior to joining the subnational team, she worked as a consultant in the World Bank's legal vice presidency and also as a private sector analyst with the Doing Business team where she was responsible for the legal rights indicator. Ngozi is a Nigerian national and is presently an MBA candidate at the American University specializing in global emerging markets.
Oleksandr Olshanskyy
Oleksandr is from Ukraine. Previously, he worked at Sayenko Kharenko Law Offices in Kyiv, where he advised on capital markets and banking and finance issues. Prior to that, he worked at Salkom Law Firm in Kyiv focusing on intellectual property law and dispute resolution. He studied international law at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and holds a Master of Laws degree from Columbia Law School, where he was a Fulbright scholar. Oleksandr speaks Ukrainian, Russian and French.
Dana Omran
Dana Omran joined the Doing Business team in February 2006 and lead the Dealing with Construction Permits indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Omran worked for the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau and the International Atomic Energy Agency, Office of External Policy Coordination. A John Carroll and Phi Beta Kapa scholar, Ms. Omran graduated from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University with a bachelor's degree in science and technology in international affairs and a certificate in contemporary Arab studies. Ms. Omran holds a master's degree in International Security from the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. She speaks Arabic and French.
Luis Aldo Sánchez-Ortega
Luis Aldo Sánchez-Ortega, a Mexican national, has been a member of the team since 2006. Before joining the Foreign Investment Advisory Service, he worked for more than four years at the Federal Regulatory Improvement Commission in Mexico City, first as the chief of the Department of Special Studies and later as deputy director of Regulatory Impact Assessment. He holds an economics degree from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México where he was part of the Editorial Council of the ¿Caeteris Paribus? Economics Magazine and at the same time was the management and finance coordinator of the nongovernmental organization Opción México, A.C.
Caroline Otonglo
Caroline Otonglo joined the Doing Business team in August 2007 and led the Paying Taxes indicator. Previously, she worked at KPMG Kenya, where she provided tax advisory and compliance services across diverse industries. Prior to that, she was at Musyoka and Wambua Advocates in Nairobi and at Citibank, Nairobi. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi, a post-graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law and a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School. Ms. Otonglo is a qualified accountant and a qualified corporate secretary. She is admitted to practise law in Kenya and in New York State, as well as being a member of the East African Law Society. Caroline speaks Swahili and is conversational in German.
Elena Gasol Ramos
Elena Gasol Ramos joined the Doing Business team in 2006. Before that, she served as a legal advisor for international consumer protection at the US Federal Trade Commission, and as an adjunct professor on comparative privacy law at Georgetown University Law Center (Washington DC). She also worked on internet, privacy and intellectual property law issues in Brussels with the law firm Wilmer Cutler and Pickering and with the European Commission DG Information Society. She holds a law degree from Salamanca Law School (Spain), a Master's in European Union Law from the College of Europe (Belgium) and a Master's in Law from Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Gasol Ramos is a member of the Salamanca and New York Bars. She's fluent in Spanish, English, German and French.
Nadia Ram
Nadia Ram joined the Doing Business team in May 2008 to work on the Infrastructure indicator. Her prior experience includes work at the Israeli Attorney General's office, and at a private law firm in Israel, where she focused on labor and employment law. Ms. Ram holds an LL.M. degree from Harvard Law School, and an LL.B. and bachelor's degree in economics from Haifa University in Israel. Nadia was born in the Ukraine and is an Israeli national. She is fluent in Hebrew and Russian, and is conversational in Arabic and Persian.
Camille Ramos
Camille Ramos joined the Doing Business team in December 2006. Ms. Ramos worked on the Starting a Business, Trading Across Borders indicators and Getting Credit (Information Index) indicator. She holds a bachelor's degree in history and sociology from George Washington University and spent a year of her studies at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and Universidad Catolica de Argentina, focusing primarily on economics. Prior to joining the World Bank, Ms. Ramos worked at the Office of James Carville, DC Parentsmart, and Smith Barney. She speaks Portuguese, Spanish and French.
Brice Richard
Brice Richard, a French national, joined the Subnational Doing Business team in 2008. He holds an MA in International Economics and Emerging Markets from Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) and an MA in Political Sciences from Sciences Po Paris. Prior to joining the team, Brice conducted research on China's socio-economic trends at Tsinghua University (Beijing), worked for the Poverty Reduction department of the World Bank in Delhi, and worked as a Research Assistant and Research Fellow at the Macroeconomic Studies department of the IMF. He speaks French, Chinese and some Japanese.
Ivana Rossi
Ivana Rossi joined the Doing Business team in 2007. She holds an masters of arts in comparative politics from New York University, where she was a Fulbright Scholar, and a degree in international relations from Universidad de San Andres in Buenos Aires. While in Argentina, she worked at the Center for Implementation of Public Policy for Equity and Growth on transparency and public sector reform initiatives. She has also worked on democratic governance projects with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Dialogue and the World Bank Institute. Ms. Rossi is fluent in Spanish, English and French.
Yara Salem
Yara Salem joined the Doing Business team in October 2007 and lead the Starting a Business indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, she established and managed a consultancy office, worked for the Palestinian Foreign Ministry and for the Ministry of Trade and Economy as the Director responsible for development of private sector projects. Ms. Salem has extensive field experience working with the World Bank Group and UNDP on private sector development issues in fragile states and post-conflict countries including Sudan and Somalia. She is a U.S. Presidential scholar and holds BA from The Jordanian University in business administration and master's degrees in commercial diplomacy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a master's degree international relations and development economics from Birzeit University. She speaks Arabic and is conversant in French and Japanese.
Massimiliano Santini
Massimiliano Santini joined the Doing Business Reform Unit in October 2008, and he currently works on both reform advisory projects and regional Doing Business reports in Latin America and Eastern Europe. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked for the consulting firm OTF Group in Trinidad and Tobago, and advised the Government on the reform of the national strategy for ICT policy. In June 2008, Massimiliano graduated from the Master in Public Administration (MPA/ID) program at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, where he was Ruffolo Fellow in Sustainability Science. In 2007, he worked for the Government of Kenya and analyzed the implementation challenges of Vision 2030. Massimiliano started his career as financial analyst in London at ING Baring Asset Management, and then moved to New York, where he worked on regular and peacekeeping budget reform at the European Commission delegation of the United Nations. Massimiliano holds a Bachelor degree in Economics from the University of Modena in Italy. He is fluent in English, Spanish and Italian.
Lucas Seabra
Lucas Seabra joined the Doing Business team in April 2011 to work on the Employing Workers indicator. He holds a law degree from UFMG School of Law (Brazil), a Master of Arts degree from University of Bologna (Italy), a Master of Laws degree in Law and Economics from University of Hamburg (Germany), and a Master of Laws degree in Securities and Financial Regulation from Georgetown University Law Center (United States). Prior to joining the team, he worked at the Inter-American Development Bank negotiating and structuring capital market transactions in Latin America and the Caribbean region and at the World Bank on transparency and public governance issues. He speaks Portuguese and Spanish.
Rachel Shahid-Saless
Rachel Shahid-Saless holds a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and a masters in business administration from the Schulich School of Business in Toronto, Canada. Prior to joining the Doing Business team, she worked in central banking regulation for the International Monetary Fund and human rights for the Organization of American States. Rachel has also served as a project manager and UN/ECOSOC representative for Lawyers Without Borders before the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. She is fluent in English, Farsi, and Spanish.
Sylvia Solf
Sylvia Solf was the program manager of the Doing Business project. Prior to joining the World Bank Group in 2003, she worked in portfolio management at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, DC. She also has experience working on private sector and social development in Mexico and Chile. Ms. Solf holds a master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She speaks German, Spanish and French.
Umar Shavurov
Umar Shavurov , a Kyrgyz Republic national, joined the Doing Business team in late 2006 to work on the Dealing with Licenses indicator. He holds a master's degree from the Universidad del Salvador (Argentina) in International Relations and Conflict Resolution. He obtained his diploma from the Kyrgyz State University in Foreign Policy. Prior to joining the team, Mr. Shavurov led the International Business Council in Kyrgyzstan promoting better business environment and investment climate. His experience also includes the Asian Development Bank, the Prime Minister's Office of Kyrgyz Republic, and EuropeAid. He speaks Kyrgyz, Russian, and Spanish.
Lisa Smith

Lisa Smith worked on the Doing Business 2005 -- Removing Obstacles to Growth report.
Larisa Smirnova
Larisa Smirnova joined the Doing Business team in 2007. She previously worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Russia and Japan. Ms. Smirnova graduated from the Ecole Nationale d'Administration of France with a masters degree in public administration with honors. She also holds a joint master of international relations degree from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris and Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Ms. Smirnova is fluent in Russian, French and Japanese.
Grace Sorenen
Grace Sorenen worked on the Doing Business 2005 -- Removing Obstacles to Growth report.
Marina Turlakova
Marina Turlakova joined the Doing Business team in August 2008 to work on the Infrastructure indicator. Ms. Turlakova holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and Political Science from Wellesley College, MA, USA and has a master's degree in economics from the University of Cambridge, UK. Prior to joining the team Ms. Turlakova worked as an analyst at Cornerstone Research, an economic consulting firm providing economic and financial analysis to attorneys. She is fluent in Russian and conversant in German.
Zenaida Hernández Uriz
Zenaida Hernández Uriz has been a member of the team since 2005. She joined the World Bank Group in 2003 to work on the World Development Report 2005: A Better Investment Climate for Everyone. Her previous experience included management consulting at Accenture and trade promotion at the Spanish Trade Office in the Czech Republic. She holds an economics degree from the University of Zaragoza (Spain) and a MS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.
Donaji Valencia

Donaji Valencia worked on the Doing Business 2006 -- Creating Jobs report.
Adriana Vicentini
Adriana Vicentini joined the Doing Business team in 2005 to work on the Starting a Business indicator. She graduated with a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.) after transferring there from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, Venezuela. During her studies, Adriana also worked at the World Bank Resident Mission in Caracas and in the Department of Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States (Washington, DC).
Caroline Van Coppenolle
Caroline Van Coppenolle joined the Doing Business team in November 2005 to work on the Starting a Business indicator. She holds a master's degree from SAIS (Washington, DC) in international relations and economics. She obtained her bachelor's degree in international business from EPSCI- Group ESSEC, in France and from Georgetown University. She also lived in Spain, the U.K., and Italy. Her background includes experience in private and public sector interning at Arcelor Mittal and the UN Industrial Development Agency, as well as working in communication, for Publicis. She speaks French, Spanish and Italian.
Lihong Wang
Lihong Wang worked on Doing Business 2004 -- Understanding Regulations, Doing Business 2005 -- Removing Obstacles to Growth. Doing Business 2006 -- Creating Jobs, and Doing Business 2007 -- How to Reform.
Bryan Welsh
Bryan Welsh joined the Doing Business team in 2006. He works on the Closing a Business indicator and manages the Law Library. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy from Williams College. During his undergraduate studies, Bryan spent a semester in Granada, Spain. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked in the international arbitration and antitrust groups of White & Case LLP.
Jelani M. Wilkins
Jelani M. Wilkins joined the Doing Business team in 2005. Working on his second year at the World Bank, he has worked on the Law Collections Library and Country Profiles. Born in Washington D.C., he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and African Studies from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
Tania Yancheva

Tania Yancheva worked on the Doing Business 2004 -- Understanding Regulations report.
Justin Yap
Justin Yap is a Regulatory Economist with the Investment Climate Department of the IFC and World Bank Group. He previously led the Closing a Business (restructuring and insolvency law) and Getting Credit (secured transactions law) indicators of the Doing Business project. After Doing Business, Justin joined the Investment Climate Department to lead the Doing Business Reform program in Rwanda, which was recognized as the World Bank's global top reformer in Doing Business 2010. He also helped launch the Investment Climate Department's Restructuring and Insolvency advisory services program. Before joining the World Bank, Justin practiced international commercial law at the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm White & Case LLP. He received his bachelor's degree from Yale University and a JD from Harvard Law School. Mr Yap is fluent in Chinese and French.
Jennifer Yip
Jennifer Yip joined the Doing Business team in May 2008 to work with the Doing Business gender initiative in collaboration with the World Bank Group's Gender Action Plan. Prior to joining Doing Business, she worked for The Asia Foundation in Cambodia, where she focused on economic reform and development issues. Ms. Yip has also researched gender and natural resource conflict issues in Hawaii, Mongolia, and Hong Kong. She holds a master's degree in politics from Princeton University and a bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford University. Ms. Yip speaks Cantonese.
Lior Ziv
Lior Ziv joined the Doing Business team in June 2007. Mr. Ziv worked for a year on the Enforcing contracts indicator and later on the Paying taxes indicator. After graduating with a law degree from the University of Leuven in Belgium and spending an intermediary year as an exchange student at the University of Salamanca in Spain, he obtained an LL.M. from Harvard Law School. Mr. Ziv has volunteer experience in Israel, Guatemala, Ghana, Ukraine, Belarus and Azerbaijan. He speaks Dutch, French, Spanish, Hebrew, Russian and Portuguese.