Anabel González

Anabel González is Senior Director of the World Bank Group Global Practice on Trade and Competitiveness (from July 2014). In this capacity, she leads a team of 500 people to design and implement the World Bank Group’s global and country agenda in the areas of trade, investment climate, competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship. Previously, she served as Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Trade (2010-14), where she lead efforts to join the OECD, implemented six major free trade agreements, and contributed to attracting over 140 new foreign direct investment projects. She also had a lead role in Costa Rica’s Competitiveness and Innovation Council. During her more than 15 years of service with the Ministry of Foreign Trade, she held various positions including Director General for International Trade Negotiations, Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade and Ambassador-Chief Negotiator. She also served as Director of Costa Rica’s Investment Promotion Agency, Director to the Agriculture and Commodities Division of the World Trade Organization, and Senior International Consultant on Trade and Investment at the Inter-American Development Bank. Anabel is the current Chair of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Competitiveness, after serving as Chair of the Council on Trade and Foreign Direct Investment. Anabel has lectured in over 40 countries and written on many trade and competitiveness issues.