Jean-François Rischard was appointed as the World Bank’s first Vice President for Europe in 1998. He represents the World Bank Group in its high-level partnerships and communications with European constituencies, including governments, parliaments, the private sector and non-governmental organizations. Mr. Rischard joined the World Bank in 1975 as a project officer for large-scale industry In 1982 he joined the Financial Policy and Analysis Department, working on asset/liability management, and in 1984 became chief of Financial Management and Analysis. He rejoined the World Bank in 1989 as director of the Investments Department, managing the institution’s $25-billion, actively-traded liquid asset portfolio. In 1993, he was promoted to vice president of the new Finance and Private Sector Department which he built into a 300-strong staff serving the Bank’s clients through specialized expertise in finance, privatization, infrastructure and urban development. In 1997, his role expanded to encompass the Bank-wide network of 1,300 staff that operates in finance, private sector development and infrastructure throughout the Bank, who generated about half of the institution’s lending, or roughly $15 billion in fiscal year 1998.