SOFIA, July 1, 2025 ¡ª Starting today, Jason Pellmar becomes the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group (WBG) Country Manager for Bulgaria, a position that will unify country-level leadership across the institution to better support the country¡¯s public and private sector priorities. This newly created position provides a single point of contact for access to the full breadth of ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group products and services and will enhance the institutions¡¯ ability to address global challenges, and drive development with speed, efficiency, and impact.
¡°It is a privilege to serve as ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group Country Manager in Bulgaria ¨C a country that has undergone a significant transformation from a highly centralized, planned economy to an open, market-based economy securely anchored in the EU. Now the country¡¯s evolving development opportunities and challenges require mobilization of investments both public and private to deliver on the aspirations of Bulgarians for high EU living standards¡±, said Jason Pellmar.
In Bulgaria, the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group works to support the government¡¯s efforts to enhance competitiveness and social inclusion, while developing a more sustainable model for economic growth. In September 2024, the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group announced its new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) with Bulgaria for fiscal years 2025 to 2029, which is designed to ensure strong synergy across the entire ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group to mobilize private sector capital in support of government efforts to address the country¡¯s development challenges like strengthening institutions and boosting productivity, skills, and employability along with increased effectiveness, efficiency, and adequacy of public spending for improved service delivery.
A U.S. national, Jason Pellmar most recently served with the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group¡¯s private sector arm - the International Finance Corporation ¨C as Regional Industry Manager, Infrastructure, for India, Bhutan, and Maldives. Jason brings substantial experience and insight to this position having led efforts to mobilize private sector investment and to advance critical reforms that enabled landmark transactions across multiple industry sectors and in several countries. Prior to joining IFC, Jason underwrote and managed a global portfolio of energy assets at GE Energy Financial Services.
The introduction of joint country representation is an important step towards building a stronger ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group. Bulgaria is one of more than 40 ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group offices worldwide transitioning to a single ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group Country Manager or Resident Representative for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
About the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group: ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group has a bold vision: to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. In more than 100 countries, the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group provides financing, advice, and innovative solutions that improve lives by creating jobs, strengthening economic growth, and confronting the most urgent global development challenges. ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It consists of the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA); the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org , , and .
