Ms Jennifer Sara

Ms. Jennifer J. Sara

Director, Water Global Practice

World Bank Group

Jennifer Sara is the Director for the World Bank Group’s Water Global Practice, a position she has held since July 2014.Ms Sara has 30 years of experience working on global water issues, with overseas assignments in the World Bank as Sector Manager for Sustainable Development based in Hanoi, Vietnam (2010 – 2014); Sector Leader in Brazil (2006 – 2010); and Water and Sanitation Specialist in Bolivia (1990 – 1995). Ms Sara found her passion for water at the start of her career while serving as an intern in the US Indian Health Service and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Liberia.

In her current assignment, Ms Sara is a core member of the Practice’s senior management team, which drives the policy direction, oversees a portfolio of $25 billion in water-related investments, analytical work, multi-donor trust funds and global partnerships (including as Secretary of the UN/World Bank High Level Panel on Water). Ms Sara supports an integrated approach to water security and service delivery, customizing the Bank’s global water strategy to the country dialogue, and providing policy advice and operational support in response to specific client and community needs. She holds an MSc in Environmental Management from the University of London, Wye College, and a BSc in Environmental Engineering from Brown University.