Subnational and regional Doing Business reports are prepared by a diverse team of experts at the World Bank Group.
Subnational and regional Doing Business reports are prepared by a diverse team of experts at the World Bank Group.
Pilar Salgado-Otónel is the Program Manager of the Subnational Doing Business Unit. She joined the World Bank in 2008, where she first worked in the global Doing Business team on labor market regulation indicators and then leading the indicator work on judicial contract enforcement for another two years. Pilar holds a law degree from Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile, and master's degree in international legal studies from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was a Fulbright scholar. Prior to joining the Doing Business team, she served as a law clerk to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Pilar has also worked in the international legal department of a major shipping line and as an assistant professor in Public International Law at Universidad de Valparaiso. She speaks Spanish.
Razvan Antonescu joined the Subnational Doing Business team in March 2016. He worked at the Information Centre of the European Commission in Romania, the United Nations Development Program and the Ministry for Information Society of Romania. He also worked with several other World Bank units (Romania Country Unit, Transport&ICT and Trade&Competitiveness Global Practices) on projects related to digital development and innovation. He graduated in Political Sciences from the University of Bucharest and is currently pursuing a master’s in management of Business, Innovation, and Technology at the University of Sheffield. He speaks Romanian (native), English, French and Italian.
Edgar Chavez joined the Subnational Doing Business team in January 2020. Previously, he worked with the global Doing Business team since 2013 where covered the Registering Property indicator and most recently led the Getting Credit - Credit Information indicator. He holds a master's degree in international relations and international economics from Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a bachelor's degree in international relations from the Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico). Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Mr. Chavez worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and at the commercial section of the Canadian Embassy in Mexico. He speaks Spanish, French and is conversant in Russian.
Laura Diniz joined the Doing Business team in January 2013. She is the team leader of the Registering Property indicator. Prior to that she was the acting topic team leader of the Starting a Business indicator. During her first few years with the team, she worked on the Registering Property indicator. She holds a Master’s degree in Applied Economics from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance from Insper-São Paulo (Brazil). Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Ms. Diniz worked as a research analyst at Funcesp, a pension fund and as a risk analyst in IronHouse fund, a private wealth management fund in São Paulo. She speaks Portuguese and is fluent in Spanish.
Lilla Fordos, a Hungarian national, joined the Subnational Doing Business team in 2016. She worked on the dealing with construction permits and getting electricity indicators. She has a master’s degree in international relations and economics from Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and an undergraduate degree in Political Science and German studies from Clemson University, SC. Prior to joining the World Bank, she worked as a researcher for the International Law Department at SAIS on business investment and it’s environmental impact in Africa and at the German Marshall Fund on democratization and civil society in Central Eastern Europe and the Balkans and North Africa.
Carlos I. Mejía, a Dominican national, joined the Subnational Doing Business team in December 2016. He holds a MA in Business and Management from École Supérieur de Commerce de Montpellier (Montpellier Business School), where he was a Fondation de France scholar, a Postgraduate Diploma in Finance from Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo and a BA in Economics from the same university. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, he worked as a Private Sector Development Consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank and as an Analyst for microfinance institutions in the Dominican Republic and France. He speaks Spanish and French.
Branislav joined the Subnational Doing Business team in March 2017 and works as Europe-based Analyst on Starting a Business and Registering Property indicators. Prior to this engagement, Branislav held various positions at the World Bank Group, most recently with the World Bank Innovation Labs, where he focused on supporting social entrepreneurs in various countries. He obtained his Master’s degree in International Relations from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, The Johns Hopkins University and speaks Slovak (native), German and elementary Chinese (Mandarin).
Trimor Mici, a Kosovan national, joined the World Bank in 2008. He holds an MBA in finance and investments from the George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, DC, and a BA in business and finance from the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG). Previously, he worked for the press office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) mission in Kosovo. Trimor has led and co-authored several Doing Business studies in Africa, Europe and South Asia. Trimor speaks Albanian, Bulgarian and some Serbian.
Cristina Montoya, a Spanish national, joined the Subnational Doing Business team in March 2018 as a consultant for the project Subnational Doing Business in Mozambique 2018. Previously, she worked as a consultant for the Subnational Doing Business in Spain 2015 project. Before collaborating with the Subnational Doing Business team, she worked as a consultant at Plan Evaluation (São Paulo) and as a research fellow at the Spanish Tourism Institute in São Paulo and in the Agencia de Evaluación de Políticas Públicas (AEVAL) in Madrid. She holds a Master's Degree in Techniques of Applied Social Research from the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS) in Madrid, a Political Science Licentiate degree and Sociology Licentiate degree from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese.
Madalina Papahagi is the Program Coordinator for the Subnational Doing Business Unit. She has led and co-authored Subnational Doing Business studies in Europe, Africa, Middle East and North Africa, South and East Asia. She is supporting the Program Manager in overseeing the Subnational Doing Business team and work program. Previously, she worked on investment climate advisory projects for Southern Europe at the World Bank office in Belgrade. She joined the World Bank in 2001, where she first worked on operational quality and portfolio management in Africa region. Before joining the World Bank, she worked for the American Red Cross in Washington DC and in the banking sector in Romania. Madalina holds an MBA from the American University in Washington DC, where she was a Fulbright scholar, and a BA from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. Madalina is a Romanian and Greek national.
Monique Pelloux, a Mexican national, joined Subnational Doing Business in 2013. She started her Bank career over a decade ago, as a Program Assistant in the Mexico Country Office, where she provided support to the Environment Team. She subsequently moved to headquarters to work with the Development Effectiveness (Safeguards Team) and regional IT Teams, where she provided operational support and project monitoring, prepared dashboard reports, and served as a transaction specialist, among other things. She holds a degree in chemical engineering, speaks Spanish, and is conversant in French.
Maria Camila Roberts, a Colombian national, joined the Subnational Doing Business team in August 2009. She holds a law degree from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia, a diploma in Insurance law from the same university and an LLM from Indiana University-Bloomington School of Law where she was granted a merit scholarship. Prior to joining the World Bank she practiced law, focusing on insurance and banking law, for nine years. With the subnational team she has specialized in the Latin America and the Caribbean region.
Iria Raposo joined the Subnational Doing Business team in September 2017. She works on the Dealing with Construction Permits and Registering Property indicators. She holds a degree in Political Science and Administration from the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. She studied International Relations at the Universidade do Minho, Portugal, and at the Metropolitan University Prague, Czech Republic. Prior to joining the World Bank, she worked as a cadastre and property registry consultant for several firms. Iria also served as an international business advisor at the Galician Export Promotion Agency and as a multilateral market analyst at the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Washington, D.C. Iria speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Galician and intermediate French.
Tommaso Rooms, an Italian national, joined the Subnational Doing Business team in July 2011. He holds a master's degree in Public Policy and Administration from the London School of Economics. He has also studied International Relations (M.A.) and Political Science (B.A.) at the University of Florence, Italy. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, he interned at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and worked at the Global Governance Program of the European University Institute for 2 years. Tommaso speaks Italian, Spanish and intermediate French.
Ana Santillana, a Spanish national, joined the Subnational Doing Business team in September 2017. Previously, Ana worked with the World Bank’s education global practice in the Europe and Central Asia region and with the global Doing Business team. Before joining the World Bank, she worked as a research associate at the OECD Development Center in Paris and as an economic and trade analyst at the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Ottawa. She holds a Master's Degree in Global Development Economics from Boston University, a Master's Degree in International Business Management from the Center for Economic and Commercial Studies (CECO) in Madrid and a Licentiate Degree in Economics from the Autonomous University of Madrid. She speaks Spanish.
Erick Tjong, a Brazilian national, joined the Subnational Doing Business team in December 2019. He previously worked on the Starting a Business indicator and then led the Getting Electricity indicator at the Doing Business team. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked at PwC Brazil, where he focused on providing international tax consulting services, and at the Paris City Hall’s international relations bureau. Erick holds a master’s dual degree in Europe-Asia relations from Sciences Po, Paris, and Fudan University, Shanghai and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of São Paulo. He speaks Portuguese, French, Spanish, and is conversant in Chinese.
Mariline Vieira, a French and Portuguese national joined the Subnational Doing Business team in March 2013. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Studies and International Affairs from the Institute of Technology of Tralee (Ireland) and the University of Paris-Sud (France), and a Master’s degree in Development Economics from the University of Versailles (France). Prior to joining the World Bank Group, she worked in microfinance and micro-business development, sustainable development, and international cross-cutting issues for PlaNet Finance and The Global Fund among others.
Julien Vilquin, a French national, joined the Subnational Doing Business team in 2015. Previously, Julien worked in the global Doing Business team where he led the Employing Workers indicator for two years, and the Enforcing Contracts indicator for another two years. Julien holds law degrees from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (France), the University of Lille 2 (France), and the Georgetown University Law Center (Washington, D.C.). Mr. Vilquin also received a master's degree in Management from EDHEC Business School (France). Prior to joining the World Bank Group, he practiced European and antitrust law at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP in Paris. Julien is admitted to the NY bar, and is qualified in Paris. He speaks French.