Dr Olivier Mahul

Practice Manager, Crisis and Disaster Risk Finance
World Bank

about

Olivier is a financial economist and global expert in decision theory under uncertainty, with applications in development economics, climate finance and disaster risk finance and insurance.

Olivier leads the climate and disaster risk finance agenda at the World Bank and co-designed innovative financial instruments such as sovereign parametric catastrophe risk insurance, regional catastrophe risk pools (CCRIF, PCRAFI, SEADRIF) and sovereign contingent credit lines.  He also leads the climate (physical) risk analytics agenda to assess the effects of climate change on the financial sector and inform financial sector policy reforms.

Olivier currently serves as Practice Manager of the Crisis & Disaster Risk Finance team and its Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Program (DRFIP) at the World Bank.  The team provides emerging markets and developing economies with analytical and advisory services to improve the financial resilience of governments, businesses and households against disasters and climate shocks through policy reforms and innovative financial instruments in more than 60 countries.

Olivier co-chairs the Operations Committee of the Insurance Development Forum (IDF), and the working group on Climate Physical Risks of the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System (NGFS).

Olivier holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Toulouse School of Economics and post-doctorates from Wharton Business School and University of California at Berkeley.  Olivier has authored more than 40 publications in international journals and two books: “Catastrophe Risk Financing in Developing Countries: Principles for Public Intervention” (with J. David Cummins) and “Government Support to Agricultural Insurance: Challenges and Options for Developing Countries” (with Charles Stutley).