Sarvesh Suri has been appointed as the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Regional Vice President for Asia and the Pacific. With 25 years of experience in global investment and development, Suri has a proven track record of fostering public-private partnerships. In his new role, he will strategically lead all investment and advisory operations throughout the region, aiming to mobilize the private sector to tackle complex development challenges and generate employment opportunities.

As part of the World Bank Group, Suri will oversee IFC teams operating from India to the Pacific Islands. These teams are tasked with designing private sector solutions in sectors such as finance, manufacturing, agribusiness, services, infrastructure, and natural resources to bring transformative change to communities and businesses. Suri will be based in Singapore. Supporting him in the region will be two new Division Directors: Keiko Miwa, stationed in Jakarta, Indonesia, will manage South West Asia and Pacific Islands, while Arnaud Dupoizat, based in Hong Kong SAR, China, will oversee East Asia starting February 1, 2026.

“It is my genuine privilege to return home to Asia for a role that will allow me to make a meaningful and lasting difference in a region that has shaped me personally and professionally,” Suri stated. “Asia is where I grew up and first worked, and I am deeply humbled by the opportunity to bring together the capabilities of the public and private sectors to tackle the pressing development challenges of the region at scale.”

Before his appointment, Suri held the position of IFC’s Regional Industry Director for Infrastructure and Natural Resources in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he played a key role in launching Mission 300. He also spent six years at the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) as Director of Operations, managing global risk mitigation products for cross-border investments in developing countries. Prior to MIGA, Suri occupied various leadership roles at IFC over 15 years, including Senior Regional Manager overseeing operations in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Papua New Guinea, based in Jakarta.

“Countries throughout Asia and the Pacific face complex and varied issues,” Suri acknowledged. “What unites people across the region is that they all want the dignity of a job — livelihoods to support themselves and their families. My focus therefore will be on maximizing IFC’s toolkit of private sector solutions to create jobs. We can do this by mobilizing private capital and pursuing innovative financing instruments. We can strengthen local capital markets, make equity investments for greater impact, and invest in micro-, small-, and medium-enterprises as engines of job creation.”

An Indian national, Suri possesses a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Delhi University.