Axel van Trotsenburg assumed the role of Vice President of Development Finance (DFi) on March 1, 2016. In this role, he oversees the strategic mobilization of resources, helping to align the needs of clients, donors and World Bank Group institutional priorities through a variety of funding instruments.

Mr. van Trotsenburg is responsible for the replenishment and stewardship of the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's fund for the poorest, as well as for trust fund and partnership operations, including the trusteeship of financial intermediary funds. He oversees the department responsible for monitoring IBRD's financial sustainability and ensuring the effective utilization and prudent management of financial resources. He also oversees the World Bank Group’s Secretariat on Financing for Development (FfD), which is working, in partnership with the UN and other multilateral development banks, to identify ways to scale up the resources needed to finance the 2030 Agenda.

Prior to his role as Vice President of DFi, Mr. van Trotsenburg served as Vice President for East Asia and Pacific Region from 2013-2016. There he oversaw a portfolio of over $30 billion in loans, grants, credits and trust funds, coordinating and supervising the activities of more than 1,000 staff. 

Before this, Mr. van Trotsenburg served as the World Bank’s Vice-President for DFi’s precursor, the Concessional Finance and Global Partnerships vice presidency, from 2009-2013. During his tenure, he led the IDA policy negotiations and replenishment process, including the record 16th replenishment of $49.3 billion in December 2010. He also co-chaired the replenishment process for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and managed the largest replenishment increase ever, under GEF 5, with pledges of $4.25 billion. He had policy oversight of the World Bank's trust fund portfolio, and oversaw a wide range of global initiatives and innovative financing including: the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm), and the pilot Advance Market Commitment (AMC) for pneumococcal vaccines.

From July 2007-July 2009, Mr. van Trotsenburg was Country Director for Colombia and Mexico, and from 2002 to July 2007, Country Director for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. From 1996 to 2001, he was Senior Manager of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, the largest and most comprehensive debt relief program for poor countries. He served previously as Senior Country Economist for Côte d’Ivoire and Country Economist for Guatemala.