Vinod Thomas

Vinod Thomas is Director-General of Independent Evaluation at the Asian Development Bank. He was formerly Director-General and Senior Vice-President, Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) at the World Bank Group (retired August 2011). He reports to the Board of Executive Directors and evaluates the activities of the World Bank, IFC and MIIGA. During his tenure since August 2005, he has led IEG with a new mandate, strengthening the organization’s independence as well as engagement with the WBG’s directions, and fortifying the quality and impact of evaluations -– ranging from health and the environment to the global economic crisis to climate change.

He was formerly country director for Brazil and vice president of the World Bank, a position that he held from October 2001 to July 2005. In this capacity, he established and managed one of the largest World Bank portfolios of loans and analytical work. The work helped shape the World Bank’s dialogue with the government, the private sector and the civil society during the time of transition of governments and beyond. His book, From Inside Brazil (Stanford University Press), was published in 2006.

Prior to that, Dr. Thomas was vice president of the World Bank Institute (WBI), where he transformed the previous Economic Development Institute into WBI with a far stronger mandate and impact in the areas of client and staff learning and capacity building. His book, The Quality of Growth (Oxford University Press), was published in 2000. Previously he held positions as Chief Economist for the World Bank in the East Asia and Pacific Region. He was the staff director for the 1991 World Development Report, entitled "The Challenge of Development." He was also chief of trade policy and principal economist for Colombia.

Thomas joined the World Bank in 1976. He has a Masters and Ph.D in Economics from of the University of Chicago. He has taught at Vassar College and the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has written numerous books, reports and journal articles.