Sean McGrath joined the World Bank Group in March 2012 as vice president of human resources.

An Irish national, McGrath has senior HR experience within global, European and Irish organizations — both private and public sector — where he gained a reputation as a change agent and implementer, adept at aligning the HR function with the business side.

McGrath started his career in the Irish Defence Forces and served on three different occasions in the Middle East with United Nations peacekeeping missions. He then led European operations for a U.S. manufacturing corporation with sites in Ireland and Poland before joining EBS Building Society as their Head of Retail and Head of HR.

In his next position with the National Irish Bank, a subsidiary of Danske Banking Group, McGrath held the position of HR Director and was a member of their executive management team. He then worked as Group HR Director for the Irish Health Service, where he led the largest workforce in Ireland with approximately 100,000 staff represented by over 10 different public sector trade unions.

McGrath is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a member of the British Academy of Management, and a former board member of the Public Appointments Service (PAS) in Ireland. He holds a BA from University College Galway, a master's from Dublin City University, and a doctorate in Business Administration from Durham University in the UK.