WASHINGTON —World Bank President Ajay Banga today announced the appointment of James “Jay” Heimbach as Vice President, External and Corporate Relations of the World Bank.

“The World Bank is writing a new playbook to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. Stronger partnerships with multilateral development banks, philanthropies, and civil society, as well as greater global cooperation, are at the core of that work. Jay has a proven track record of building relationships with stakeholders and possesses the skills needed to communicate the impact of our work clearly. This is critical to our success and ability to deliver on our mission,” said Banga.

Heimbach, a US national, previously served as the Special Representative of the World Bank to North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel, where he worked closely with the President of the World Bank on managing the relationships between the senior leadership of the Bank and key donor governments. Before that, Heimbach was the Senior Director for North American Government Affairs for the ONE Campaign, a global advocacy organization focused on ending extreme poverty.

In the US Senate, Heimbach served as Chief of Staff to Senator Sherrod Brown from Ohio. He also worked as a Special Assistant to the President under the Obama administration, focusing on energy, environmental, agricultural, and manufacturing issues in the US Senate. Prior to that he served President Clinton in the Office of Legislative Affairs and as Senior Policy Advisor for the White House Deputy Chief of Staff.

Jay Heimbach holds a B.A. from Colby College, and a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law.