Michael Klein is Vice President for Financial and Private Sector Development for the World Bank and IFC as well as Chief Economist, IFC. Prior to this, he was Director of the joint Bank/IFC Private Sector Advisory Services Department, covering advice on investment climate, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, privatization transactions, and foreign investment. He was Chief Economist of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group (1997-2000), where he advised on worldwide economic developments and industry issues.

Mr. Klein joined the World Bank in 1982 as an economist on oil and gas projects, trade and industrial policy, financial sector reform, and macroeconomic analysis. In 1991 he became head of the unit for non-OECD economies at the Economics Department of OECD. In 1993 he rejoined the World Bank and became Senior Manager, Private Participation in Infrastructure, focusing on issues of market structure, regulation, privatization, and project finance in the telecommunications, transport, energy, and water sectors.

Before joining the World Bank, Mr. Klein was active in Amnesty International beginning in 1974 and served on its German Board (1977-79) and International Executive Committee (1979-82). He studied in Bonn, New Haven and Paris and received his doctorate in economics from the University of Bonn, Germany.