The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has appointed Barbara Rambousek as the Bank’s first Director for Gender and Economic Inclusion, two key policy areas for sustainable development that lie at the heart of the Bank’s mandate.

In her new position, Ms Rambousek and her team will strengthen and expand the EBRD’s focus on inclusion and gender across its investments and policy engagements in thehttps://www.ebrd.com/where-we-are.html currently 38 economies where the Bank invests.

Ms Rambousek said: “I am very excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with my team, our clients and partners to enhance access to skills, jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities for all. We will build on our distinctive private sector focused model and experience over the past years but also continue to innovate and learn in order to further deepen and strengthen our impact.”

Ms Rambousek, an Austrian-national, joined the EBRD in 2012 and developed the Bank’s approach to economic inclusion from a small pilot to a portfolio that now covers over 10% of the Bank’s annual project volume. She is the lead author of the Bank’s Economic Inclusion Strategy 2017 – 2020. Under her leadership, the Bank is now uniting its gender and inclusion agendas.

After graduating from the University of Vienna and postgraduate degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the Cass Business School, Ms Rambousek has 20 years experience in international development and urban regeneration in the Western Balkans, the Middle East, Asia and the UK.

The EBRD sees the promotion of gender equality and economic inclusion of all as a principal element of sound business management and the advancement of sustainable growth in the countries where the Bank invests.

The Bank’s approach is set out in its Strategy for the Promotion of Gender Equality 2016-2020 as well as its Economic Inclusion Strategy 2017-2022.