[1/2] Ajay Banga, CEO of MasterCard, speaks during the Women In The World Summit in the Manhattan borough of New York April 8, 2016.
REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday nominated Indian-American business executive Ajay Banga to become president of the World Bank, lauding his experience forging public-private partnerships to address financial inclusion and climate change.
“Ajay is uniquely equipped to lead the World Bank at this critical moment in history," Biden said in a statement.
Banga's nomination is the first to be made public, but the bank will accept nominations from other member countries through March 29.
That would enable the World Bank to serve "as a force multiplier for good" by catalyzing action from the wide range of players, she said, adding that the World Bank could not meet the massive needs of developing countries on its own.