The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has appointed Katharina Falkner-Olmedo as its new representative in the Dominican Republic.
At the time of her appointment, Ms. Falkner-Olmedo held the position of head of the Office of Financial Management and Procurement Services for Operations (FMP) in Washington, D.C.
Falkner-Olmedo began her career at the IDB in 1996 in the Finance Department and has held several positions, including head of the former Strategic Risk Management and Financial Planning Section of the Finance Department, and advisor to the Bank’s Executive Vice Presidency, according to a Bank press release.
Falkner-Olmedo is a Swiss citizen, with an academic background in economics, endorsed by the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, where she also holds a master’s degree in this area.
The new representative will be responsible for continuing the implementation of the bank’s strategy in the country, in alignment with the IDB’s Vision 2025, which works in five strategic areas: regional integration and strengthening of value chains, including through “nearshoring”; digitization and the digital economy; support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); gender equality and diversity; and action on climate change.
Based on this premise, the new IDB official will be managing the relationship and dialogue with government authorities and will also ensure the attention and development of the private sector through IDB Invest and the IDB innovation laboratory, the IDB Lab.
Katharina Falkner-Olmedo replaces Mr. Miguel Coronado Hunter, who concluded his duties in the country on October 31.
