Wolfgang Fengler

Wolfgang Fengler is the Lead Economist in Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation (FCI) for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. He has a remarkable background with over 20 years at the World Bank, spanning continents from North America to Asia, Africa and Europe. He has held various pivotal positions, including serving as the Lead Economist in the Nairobi office. Wolfgang's expertise extends to economics, innovation and competitiveness.Notably, Wolfgang is celebrated for his pioneering work in the realm of big data. He launched population.io at TEDx Vienna in 2014, gaining an endorsement from Bill Gates himself. He also introduced worldpoverty.io, both of which are real-time big data models. His prowess in harnessing big data earned him the title of "big data virtuoso" by the renowned German weekly DER SPIEGEL.Wolfgang's contributions have been acknowledged by major international media outlets, including the FT, ECONOMIST, BBC, CNN and CNBC. He has co-authored influential publications like "Delivering Aid Differently" (with Homi Kharas, Brookings) and "Africa’s Economic Boom" (with Shanta Devarajan, Foreign Affairs).Beyond his professional pursuits, Wolfgang's passion for football and travel shines. He served as the football commissioner at the International School of Kenya and orchestrated the "Nairobi Mini World Cup," a significant youth football tournament. With a PhD from the University of Hamburg (Germany), Wolfgang continues to make strides in shaping economic discourse and leveraging data for transformative change.