NationMaster - Encyclopedia: James Wolfensohn

James Wolfensohn AO KBE (born December 1, 1933) was the ninth president of the World Bank Group. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1168x1500, 488 KB) Description: James D. Wolfensohn, former President of the World Bank Group Source: http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1168x1500, 488 KB) Description: James D. Wolfensohn, former President of the World Bank Group Source: http://www. ... Insignia of a Companion of the Order of Australia. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... It has been suggested that World Bank be merged into this article or section. ...

Early life

Wolfensohn was born in Sydney, Australia. According to The World's Banker by Sebastian Mallaby, Wolfensohn was raised in Australia, the son of a Jewish businessman who left England for Australia during the Great Depression. He was a member of the Australian fencing team at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne and an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. He was educated at Sydney Boys High School, studied arts and law at the University of Sydney, and in 1959 earned a master of business administration degree at Harvard Business School. The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() â€“ on the European continent() â€“ in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Government Constitutional monarchy - Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... The Great Depression was the result of the economic downturn that started with the Stock Market crash on October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday. ... The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were held in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia, although the equestrian events could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations. ... Melbourne (pronounced ) is the second most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... Sydney Boys High School is a secondary school in Sydney, Australia. ... A B.A. issused as a certificate Bachelor of Arts (B.A., BA or A.B.), from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus is an undergraduate bachelors degree awarded for either a course or a program in the liberal arts or the sciences, or both. ... The degree of Bachelor of Laws is the principal academic degree in law in the majority of common law countries other than the United States, where it has been replaced by the Juris Doctor degree. ... The University of Sydney, established in Sydney in 1850, is the oldest university in Australia. ... EMBA redirects here; for the Mutation Mink Breeders Association, see American Legend Cooperative The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a masters degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. ... Harvard Business School, officially named the Harvard Business School: George F. Baker Foundation, and also known as HBS, is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. ...

Business career

Before attending Harvard, Wolfensohn was a lawyer in the Australian law firm of Allen, Allen & Hemsley in Sydney (now Allens Arthur Robinson).

Upon graduating from Harvard Business School, Wolfensohn worked briefly for Swiss cement giant Holderbank (now Holcim). He then returned to his native Australia, where he worked for various banking institutions before being employed by J. Henry Schroders, a London-based investment bank. He was a senior executive in the London office before becoming managing director of the bank's New York City office from 1970 to 1976. He later became a senior executive at Salomon Brothers. Holcim depot on the Port of Onehunga grounds, Manukau Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand. ... Schroders plc is a British investment management company with its headquarters in the City of London. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... This article deals with Salomon Brothers. ...

In 1980, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States, after it was rumored that he was a candidate to succeed Robert McNamara as president of the World Bank. After he was unsuccessful in this pursuit, he established his own investment firm, James D. Wolfensohn, Inc., along with partners including Paul A. Volcker, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank. Upon accepting his nomination to serve as president of the World Bank in 1995, Wolfensohn divested of his ownership interest in James D. Wolfensohn, Inc. The firm was later bought by Bankers Trust. Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Naturalization is the process whereby a person becomes a national of a nation, or a citizen of a country, other than the one of his birth. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... ... Paul Adolph Volcker (born September 5, 1927), economist, is best-known as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve under United States Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. ... Federal Reserve Districts The United States Federal Reserve System consists of twelve Federal Reserve Banks, each responsible for a particular district, and some with branches. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... The Bankers Trust is a historic American banking organisation that was acquired by Deutsche Bank in 1998. ...

In 2005, upon stepping down as president of the World Bank, he founded Wolfensohn & Company, LLC, a private investment firm and advisory that provides strategic consulting advice to governments and large corporations doing business in emerging market economies.

Since 2005, Wolfensohn has also been the chairman of the International Advisory Board of Citigroup. Citigroup Inc. ...

Public service

Wolfensohn became president of the World Bank on July 1, 1995 after he was nominated by U.S. President Bill Clinton. He was unanimously supported by the bank's board of executive directors to a second five-year term in 2000, becoming the third person to serve two terms in the position after Eugene R. Black and Robert McNamara. He visited more than 120 countries around the world during his term as president. On January 3, 2005, he announced that he would not seek a third term as president. During his term, the Alfalfa Club named him as their nominee for President of the United States in 2000 as part of a long-standing tradition.^[1] is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... This page is about Eugene R. Black, the banker. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Alfalfa Club is an exclusive Washington, D.C. social organization, founded in 1913. ... The presidential seal is a well-known symbol of the presidency. ...

Upon leaving the World Bank on May 31, 2005, Wolfensohn assumed the post of special envoy for Gaza disengagement for the Quartet on the Middle East. United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appointed him to this position, in which he was to help coordinate Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and to spearhead reconstruction efforts as the Palestinians assume sovereignty over the area. Citing frustration with the stymied Road Map process, he announced that he would not continue on past his original one-year commitment, and left the post on April 30, 2006.^[2] The Quartet on the Middle East, sometimes called the Diplomatic Quartet or simply the Quartet, is a foursome of nations and international entities involved in mediating the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian People. ... Seal of the United States Department of State. ... Condoleezza Rice (born November 14, 1954) is the 66th United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush to hold the office. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Also in 2005, Wolfensohn founded the Wolfensohn Center for Development [1] at the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.^[3] The center examines how to implement, scale up, and sustain development interventions to solve key development challenges at a national, regional, and global level and strives to bridge the gap between development theorists and practitioners. Current projects focus on youth exclusion in the Middle East, large-scale anti-poverty programs, reforms of global economic governance, and regional cooperation, particularly in Central Asia. The Brookings Institution is a United States nonprofit public policy think tank based in Washington, D.C.. Described in 1977, by TIME magazine as as the nations pre-eminent liberal think tank,[1] the institution is devoted to public service through research and education in the social sciences, particularly...

Wolfensohn is a member of the board of directors of Endeavor, a nonprofit organization that supports high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets, an honorary trustee of the Brookings Institution, and served as a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation. He is a trustee and currently the chairman of the board of trustees of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He is also chairman emeritus of Carnegie Hall in New York and of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Brookings Institution is a United States nonprofit public policy think tank based in Washington, D.C.. Described in 1977, by TIME magazine as as the nations pre-eminent liberal think tank,[1] the institution is devoted to public service through research and education in the social sciences, particularly... The Rockefeller Foundation (RF) is a prominent philanthropic organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. ... Fuld Hall The Institute for Advanced Study is a private institution in Princeton Township, New Jersey, U.S.A., designed to foster pure cutting-edge research by scientists and scholars in a variety of fields without the complications of teaching or funding, or the agendas of sponsorship. ... Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street. ... The Kennedy Center as seen from the Potomac River. ... The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an influential and independent, nonpartisan foreign policy membership organization founded in 1921 and based at 58 East 68th Street (corner Park Avenue) in New York City, with an additional office in Washington, D.C. Through its membership, meetings, and studies, it has been...

Wolfensohn has attended meetings of the Bilderberg Group, the Aspen Institute, and the World Economic Forum. The front cover of the privately circulated report of the 1980 Bilderberg conference in Bad Aachen, Germany. ... The Aspen Institute is a U.S. nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1950 dedicated to fostering enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Personal life and honors

A friend of Jacqueline du Pré, he began cello studies with her at the age of 41. He continues to play and has appeared, together with musician friends, at private events at Carnegie Hall and elsewhere. Jacqueline Mary du PrÃ©, O.B.E. (January 26, 1945 â€“ October 19, 1987), was an English cellist, today acknowledged as one of the greatest exponents of the instrument. ...

Wolfensohn has received numerous awards throughout his life, including an honorary knighthood of the Order of the British Empire in 1995 for his service to the arts, and becoming an honorary officer of the Order of Australia. This is an incomplete list of people who have been created honorary Knights (or Dames) by the British crown, as well as those who have been raised to the two comparable Orders of Chivalry (Order of Merit and Order of the Companions of Honour) and the Royal Victorian Chain, which... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... Insignia of a Companion of the Order of Australia. ...

He was conferred the honorary degree of doctor of science by the University of New South Wales on November 24, 2006.

He is married to Elaine, nee Botwinick, and has three grown children, Sara, Naomi, the dark-haired film-maker Adam Wolfensohn, and a grandson, Benjamin. His son Adam's father-in-law is Dr. Frederick A. Small, the New Jersey obstetrician who delivered the actress Brooke Shields.[2] Christa Brooke Camille Shields[1] (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and supermodel. ...

Contents

Early life

Business career

Public service

Personal life and honors

Further reading

References

External links

Biographies

Other