Annette Dixon Photo: World Bank Photo Collection / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Born in Palmerston North and educated at Victoria University, Annette Dixon has been the World Bank vice-president for the South Asia Region since 2014, a job that sees her direct lending operations and trust-funded projects worth more than $10 billion a year.
Dixon joined the bank in 1999 as a sector manager in human development in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region and has since held many positions within the organisation.
Before her overseas posting, Dixon was Ministry of Youth Affairs chief executive and worked in a number of high-level public sector roles.
She recently spoke at the Wellington Club about how South Asia will fare as some of the world's largest economies turn increasingly protectionist.
