Meet the Women, Business and the Law team
Women, Business and the Law reports are researched and written by a team of experienced lawyers and experts. The current team is listed below.
Norman Loayza
Director - Global Indicators Group
Norman Loayza is Director of the Global Indicators Group at the World Bank. Previously, he was a Lead Economist in the Development Research Group and managed the Asia hub of the Research Group, based in Malaysia. He was director of the World Development Report 2014, Risk and Opportunity: Managing Risk for Development. His research has dealt with various areas of economic and social development, including macroeconomic management, economic growth, microeconomic flexibility, private and public saving, financial depth and stability, natural disasters, and crime and violence. His advisory experience at the World Bank has also ranged across different topics in various regions and countries. A few examples include business environment and economic performance in Latin America; informal and formal labor markets in the Middle East and Northern Africa; public infrastructure gaps in Pakistan and Egypt; savings for macroeconomic stability and growth in Sri Lanka, Georgia, and Egypt; and pro-poor growth in Indonesia and Peru. On external service from the World Bank, he was a Senior Economist at the Central Bank of Chile (1999-2000), where he advised on financial and monetary policy. Norman has edited 10 books and published dozens of papers in professional journals and edited volumes. A Peruvian national, he holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University (1994).
Tea Trumbic
Manager - Women, Business and the Law Project
Tea Trumbic is the Manager of the Women, Business and the Law project in the World Bank’s Development Economics vice-presidency, where she leads a dynamic team to produce data and analysis on laws and regulations that impact women’s economic opportunities in 190 economies. She joined the World Bank in 2006, and has worked on production of indicators related to business taxation, credit information, agribusiness, trade and gender. Before joining the World Bank, Tea worked at the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Croatia and the International Monetary Fund. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University and a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics.
Daniela Behr
Economist
Daniela Behr is an Economist of the Women, Business and the Law Project. She currently leads the team’s research on women’s legal capacity regarding freedom of movement, property rights, and entrepreneurship. Daniela joined the Women, Business and the Law team in July 2022. Before joining the team, Daniela has worked in various capacities at the World Bank Group since 2018 co-leading a research project on affordable housing, conducting impact assessments of IFC’s investments in financial institutions, and working on indicator development related to agribusiness regulations. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, Daniela was a research fellow at University of Konstanz and George Washington University and a human rights and gender specialist with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Daniela studied in Konstanz, Madrid, and Toronto and holds a PhD in political economy from the University of Konstanz. She is fluent in German and conversant in Spanish.
Julia Braunmiller
Senior Private Sector Development Specialist
Julia Constanze Braunmiller is a Senior Private Sector Development Specialist with the World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law project. She assists with team supervision and leads efforts to disseminate Women, Business and the Law data and devise strategies to inform World Bank operations on legal and policy reform for women’s economic empowerment. Her expertise is in comparative family law, women’s entrepreneurship, access to finance, the inclusion of sexual and gender minorities, and the rights of women with disabilities. Before joining the team in 2015, she taught international human rights law at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and directed programs on combating human trafficking and pioneering clinical legal education throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Julia holds an M.A. in International Relations from SAIS and a law degree from Germany (Diplom-Juristin). She speaks German, Italian, French, and Dutch.
Eduardo Calderón
Analyst
Eduardo Calderón is an Analyst of the Women, Business and the Law project. His responsibilities include researching, analyzing, and collecting data on family law, focusing on the mobility, marriage, entrepreneurship, and assets indicators. He joined the team in May 2022. Before joining the team, Eduardo was a human rights advisor at the Pan-American Health Organization, a legal consultant at the World Bank Group, where he focused on non-discrimination, equality, and economic inclusion of minorities, and taught international law at Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala. Eduardo obtained an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from The George Washington University Law School and a Master of International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He speaks Spanish and English and is conversational in Portuguese.
Alexis Cheney
Analyst
Alexis Cheney is an Analyst on the Women, Business and the Law project. She supports the legal implementation team and research dissemination team. Alexis joined the project in June 2021. Before joining the team, she worked as a Paralegal at the U.S. Department of Justice and as a communications consultant for the OECD in Paris, France. She holds a double Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia University and Sciences Po. She speaks French.
César Diago
Analyst
César Diago is an analyst for the Women, Business and the Law project. He conducts legal research and policy analysis for the safety indicator and supports the project's dissemination efforts. César joined the team in March 2024 after working in the Human Development Vice Presidency Front Office (HDVPFO). Before joining the World Bank Group, he worked as an advisor in the Presidency of the Constitutional Court of Colombia. In this role, he led strategic partnerships to promote access to justice for citizens, particularly those from marginalized communities. César holds a Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University, a Bachelor of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Universidad de los Andes. He is fluent in Spanish and English.
Marina Elefante
Private Sector Development Specialist
Marina Elefante is a Private Sector Development Specialist of the Women, Business and the Law project. She leads research on violence against women and the project's engagement with stakeholders. She joined the team in 2016. Before joining the team, Marina drafted legal aid legislation for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), taught international human rights law at Yeditepe University in Istanbul and led human trafficking legal reform programs at The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. She graduated cum laude from the University of Naples Law School and holds an M.A. in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action from the University of Siena, Italy, and an LL.M. with distinction in International Legal Studies from Georgetown University Law Center. She speaks Italian.
Mahmoud Elsaman
Analyst
Mahmoud Elsaman is an Analyst with the Women, Business and the Law project. His current research focuses on family law, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion. Previously, he served as a judge at the Egyptian State Council and worked at the International Development Law Organization in Italy and a leading corporate law firm in Egypt. Mahmoud holds a Bachelor of Laws degree with honors from Cairo University Faculty of Law in Egypt. He also holds an LL.M degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in International and Comparative Law, and an LL.M degree in Rule of Law for Development from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Currently, Mahmoud is pursuing his SJD (Ph.D.) degree at Central European University in Austria. He is a native Arabic speaker.
Aylén Rodríguez Ferrari
Analyst
Aylén is an analyst of the Women, Business and the Law project. Her work focuses on researching labor laws and regulations. She joined the team in May 2023. Before joining WBL, she worked as a Social Protection and Jobs consultant for different World Bank units. She has working experience in both the LAC and the ECA region. Her topics of interest are social policies, financial inclusion, and gender equality, particularly in the workplace. Aylén holds a Master’s in Public Policy from The George Washington University through the Fulbright Scholarship Program, a Master’s in Microfinance from the Autónoma University of Madrid, and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Almería. She speaks Spanish, English, and French.
Luiza Ferraz di Ricco
Analyst
Luiza Ferraz di Ricco is an Analyst of the Women, Business and the Law project. Her current responsibilities include regulatory and policy research around access, public finance, and quality of childcare services across 190 countries. Her regional expertise includes Latin America and Portuguese-speaking countries. Luiza joined the team in May 2022. Before that, she provided integrity due diligence services for the IFC and developed tax strategies for Deloitte Brazil. She holds a Master of Science in International Relations and Business from American University in Washington DC. She speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish and is conversational in French.
Emilia Galiano
Senior Private Sector Development Specialist
Emilia Galiano is a Senior Private Sector Development Specialist of the Women, Business and the Law project. She leads the activities around data quality and integrity. She also she assists with team supervision and the dissemination of the annual report. Emilia joined the team in January 2021. Before joining, she employed her task management and team leadership skills in different projects, ranging from knowledge management to public procurement. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Political Economy from Bologna University and a Master's Degree in International Relations from John Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies. She is fluent in Italian and German, conversational in Spanish.
Mariam Anaïs Gnakra
Analyst
Mariam Anaïs Gnakra is an Analyst for the Women, Business, and the Law project. Mariam supports research and data collection on family law, focusing on assets, entrepreneurship, marriage, mobility, and workplace related questions. She joined the team in May 2022. Before joining the Women, Business, and the Law Team, Mariam supported the Legal Vice Presidency of the World Bank in preparing a report documenting legal experiences related to Covid-19. She focused her contribution on the adverse impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups, essentially women and people of African descent. Mariam studied European and Comparative Law in France before earning a Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Human Rights, with honors, from the George Washington University Law School. She speaks French as a native, English, and Spanish.
Héloïse Groussard
Analyst
Héloïse Groussard is an Analyst on the Women, Business and the Law project. She is part of the team leading research on women’s legal capacity regarding freedom of movement, marriage and property rights, and entrepreneurship. She also supports the WBL Data Team and Dissemination Team. Héloïse joined the team in August 2022. Before joining the team, she worked on gender and diversity issues at a shelter for women experiencing abuse in São Paulo, for the law firm Pogust Goodhead, and at the Pan American Health Organization. Héloïse holds a master's degree in International Public Law with a specialization in International Administration from the Panthéon-Assas University. She is a native French speaker, fluent in Portuguese, has working knowledge of Spanish and is a beginner in German.
Alev Gurbuz Cuneo
Economist
Alev Gurbuz Cuneo is an Economist of the Women, Business and the Law project. She conducts research on the implementation of laws benchmarked by the WBL project. Alev joined the team in May 2023. Before joining the team, she worked at Africa Region Gender Innovation Lab at the World Bank where she conducted impact evaluations of the economic interventions aiming to increase women’s empowerment in Africa region. Her research focused on gender, socio-emotional skills, gender-based violence, mental health, labor, and financial inclusion. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Georgetown University and a Master of Arts degree in Economics from New York University as a Fulbright Scholar. She is a native Turkish speaker.
Viktoria Khaitina
Analyst
Viktoria Khaitina is an Analyst of the Women, Business and the Law project. Viktoria leads the team’s contributor management relations. She currently conducts research and analysis related to the new conceptual framework around childcare policies. Viktoria joined the team January 2017. Before joining the team, she worked with the Global Forum on Law, Justice and Development team at the WBG Legal Vice Presidency. Before joining the World Bank, Viktoria worked at an international law firm, where she advised businesses on investment, finance, and trade matters. Viktoria holds degrees from the Belarusian State University (LL.B (Hons), LL.M (Hons) in International Business Law), Certificate in Public Administration from the Swedish Institute of Public Administration and American University Washington College of Law (H.H. Fellowship Program). She is a native Belarusian and Russian speaker.
Lolita Laperle-Forget
Analyst
Lolita Laperle-Forget is an Analyst of the Women, Business and the Law project, whose current work focuses on piloting a WBL subnational analysis in Nigeria. As part of the WBL team, she led regulatory and policy research on legal instruments supporting women’s participation in trade and global value chains. Lolita joined the team in January 2023. Prior to joining the World Bank, she worked at the World Trade Organization as a trade and gender officer where she promoted gender-responsive trade policies through training, legal research and tools mapping and analyzing gender provisions in free trade agreements. She holds an LL.M. in international law and a law degree from the University of Sherbrooke, Canada. Lolita speaks French and English and is conversational in Spanish.
Shantel Marekera
Analyst
Shantel Marekera is an Analyst of the Women, Business and the Law project. She conducts research and analysis on laws related to violence against women and supports WBL’s dissemination efforts. She also contributes to the organization of CSO-Private Sector engagement workshops and regional Peer to Peer learning events. Prior to joining WBL, she served as a member of UN Women’s Beijing+25 Youth Task Force and Action Coalition Working Group. She was recognized by UN Women as a leader for Generation Equality and a National Gender Youth Activist. She is an avid social justice advocate who has closely worked with several civil society organizations including Just Associates (JASS), MenEngage and Restless Development. She holds a Law degree from the University of Oxford where she graduated as a Rhodes scholar. She also holds an undergraduate and a master’s degree in Justice Studies from Barrett the Honors College at Arizona State University where she was a MasterCard Foundation scholar.
Natália Mazoni
Private Sector Specialist
Natália Mazoni is a Private Sector Specialist with Women, Business and the Law. She leads research or labor and employment and manages the corresponding topics on workplace, pay, parenthood and pension. Natalia joined the World Bank Group in February 2016. Before joining the World Bank Group, she developed business strategies at EY Brazil and practiced at a law firm in Belo Horizonte. She holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in International Legal Studies from American University Washington College of Law in Washington, DC, and a law degree from Faculdades Milton Campos in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She is a member of the Brazilian Bar. Originally from Brazil, she speaks Portuguese and is conversant in Spanish and French.
Hannelore Niesten
Analyst
Hannelore Niesten is an Analyst of the Women, Business, and the Law project and works for other World Bank teams (Digital Development and Governance). She also works on various tax and legal projects for the International Center for Tax and Development, the Asian Development Bank, and a Belgian development policy institute. Hannelore joined the Women, Business, and the Law team in July 2021. Before joining the team, Hannelore practiced tax law at a Brussels-based law firm for several years and was a Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholar at Georgetown Law School and the University of Florida specializing in tax law. Hannelore holds a PhD in Law from Maastricht University, an LLM in Business and Finance law from George Washington University, Advanced Masters in Tax Law and Notary Law from the Catholic University of Louvain, and Masters in Globalization and Law and European Law from Maastricht University. Hannelore is a qualified lawyer at the Brussels Bar. Hannelore speaks Dutch, English, and French.
Alena Sakhonchik
Private Sector Development Specialist
Alena Sakhonchik is a Private Sector Specialist at the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law project, where she currently leads research on regulatory and policy gaps around access, public finance, and quality of childcare services across 190 countries around the world. Alena stood at the grassroots of the WBL index creation and the development of the two indicators – on Childcare and Pensions. After joining the World Bank in 2014, Alena has also been providing technical support to country projects focusing on broader sustainable and inclusive private sector development. Prior to joining the World Bank, Alena held research and consulting positions in the private sector and research institutions, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Hudson Institute. Alena holds a M.A. in International Economic Relations from American University in Washington DC.
Isabel Santagostino Recavarren
Private Sector Development Specialist
Isabel Santagostino Recavarren is a Private Sector Development Specialist with the Women, Business and the Law (WBL) project. She currently leads the development of the new de facto indicators to measure implementation of laws in practice, as well as engagement activities with various stakeholders, including CSOs, the private sector and governments. She also led the WBL team’s research on violence against women, and built the new Safety indicator. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, she worked at the Organization of American States and non-governmental organizations. Ms. Santagostino is a member of the New York State Bar, holds an LL.M. in International Legal Studies from American University Washington College of Law and a law degree from Bocconi University, Italy. Isabel is fluent in Italian, French and Spanish.
Audur Inga Runarsdottir
Junior Professional Officer
Audur Inga Runarsdottir (Inga) is a Junior Professional Officer with the Women, Business and the Law project. Before joining the WBL team in April 2024, Inga worked at the University of Iceland, managing an EU-funded project on Research and Innovation collaboration between 10 European Universities. For the past three years, Inga has also been teaching a course on European Integration at the University of Iceland. Her former experience includes trade analysis for the European Free Trade Association, and research for LSE IDEAS, a foreign policy think tank in London, UK. Inga obtained an MA degree in International Economic Policy from Sciences Po Paris in 2018, and an MSc degree in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics in 2019. Her research focus was on feminist economics and gender in free trade agreements. She is a board member of the Icelandic Women's Budget Group. She is fluent in Icelandic, English, and Danish, and proficient in Swedish, German, Spanish, and French.
Liang Shen
Analyst
Liang Shen is an Analyst of the Women, Business and the Law project. Her current research interests include family leave policies, workplace discrimination, financial inclusion, and the interplay between gender and climate change. Liang joined the team in September 2020. Before joining the World Bank Group, Liang conducted analysis on tax policies and economic trends in the New York State government. She holds a Master of Science in Economics from Bocconi University and a Master of Public Administration from the State University of New York at Albany. She speaks Mandarin Chinese and is learning French.
Consuelo Jurado Tan
Program Assistant
Consuelo J. Tan is a World Bank retiree and has been a part of the Women, Business and the Law team since October 2019. She supports the team with administrative as well as budget matters. She also provides logistical support to the entire team. She was formerly a Senior Executive Assistant at the IFC, supporting the office of the EVP and Managing Director from 1999-2005. Before her retirement, she worked as a Program Analyst for the IFC’s Access to Finance unit from 2005-2010. She holds a degree in Business Administration and speaks Tagalog.
Ana Tribin
Senior Economist
Ana Tribin is a Senior Economist at the World Bank. She joined the team in July 2023. Previously, she worked at the UNDP as a public policy specialist and leader of the gender team. She also held positions at the Colombian Central Bank as a Senior Research Economist and as the President's National Advisor for Women's Equality within the Colombian Government. Ana holds a master's and a Ph.D. in economics from Brown University. Her research areas include gender, migration, and development economics. Ana has authored several papers published in international books and journals, and she has also served as a book editor. She is fluent in both Spanish and English.
Nayantara Vohra
Analyst
Nayantara Vohra is an Analyst of the Women, Business and the Law project. She conducts research on violence against women and WBL’s new Safety Indicator. She also supports the Contributor Management team. Nayantara joined the team in June 2021. Before joining the team, she practiced law in India for over four years. She worked for the World Bank’s Data and Evidence for Judicial Reform (DE JURE) program. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, a Bachelor of Laws degree and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Delhi, India. She speaks Hindi and Bengali.
Siyi Wang
Analyst
Siyi Wang is an Analyst of the Women, Business and the Law project. She currently supports the Violence Against Women topic team and WBL Data Team, leads WBL Law Library, and co-leads WBL Survey Production efforts. Siyi joined the team in June 2019. Before joining the World Bank, she worked for the Financial Institutions Group of the International Finance Corporation and worked on China’s financial inclusion program. Siyi holds a Master in Public Policy from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, and another Master in Simultaneous Interpretation from Beijing Foreign Studies University’s Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation. She speaks Chinese.
Lara Wanna
Analyst
Lara Wanna is an Analyst on the Women, Business and the Law project. Lara joined the Women, Business and the Law team in January 2021 and supports the childcare indicator. Prior to WBL, she worked with the Subnational Doing Business project in the UAE and worked as an internal legal consultant in D.C. Lara is a Beirut Bar licensed attorney with over six years of experience working in corporate and civil law in the MENA region. She has advised and represented government and private sector stakeholders, worked on drafting legal policies and regulations for Expo Dubai 2020 and policy implementation for the UN Refugee Nations in Lebanon. Lara is a member of the New York State Bar. She holds a Master of Law Degree from The Lebanese University and an L.L.M Degree from The George Washington University specializing in business and finance Law. She is fluent in Arabic.
Yue (Sophie) Xi
Analyst
Sophie Yue Xi is an Analyst of the Women, Business and the Law project. She is currently supporting data collection and legal research on family laws. Sophie joined the team in June 2023 and was an intern during the summer of 2022. Before joining the team, she worked at news agencies and contributed to several research projects. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in International Relations and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs. She is native in Chinese (Mandarin) and conversationally fluent in French.
Hikaru Yamagashi
Economist
Hikaru Yamagashi is an Economist with the Women, Business and the Law project. Prior to joining the team in April 2024, Hikaru conducted research in political economy and comparative politics at Stanford University and Harvard University as a postdoctoral fellow and at Yale University as a graduate student. Her work on political representation, gender, and electoral politics has been published in top peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. A Japanese national, she holds a bachelor’s degree in government and Asian and Middle Eastern studies from Dartmouth College, an M.A. in East Asian studies from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in political science from Yale University.
Amel Khurram Zahid
Analyst
Amel is an Analyst of the Women, Business and the Law project. She is conducting data collection, coding and research on the Labor topic, helping with refinement of the supportive frameworks’ methodology. Amel joined the team in March 2024. Prior to joining the team, Amel worked at Meta (formerly Facebook) as Program Manager. She also has several years of experience working at early-stage startups, including her own consulting startup on Workplace Equality/Equity, addressing parenthood in tech in the US. She holds an MA degree in International Policy from Stanford University, Palo Alto, US, and a Bachelor of Science of Politics and Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan. Besides English, Amel is fluent in Urdu/ Hindi and German. Amel's independent research and writings on workplace gender equality, childcare and parenthood can be found at: https://medium.com/@amelzhd
Interns
Luisa Ballen
Luisa Ballen is an intern of the Women, Business and the Law project, where she provides technical support to research studies and data collection on legislation affecting women's economic opportunities. Prior to joining the team, she collaborated on research in development economics, gender economics, and monetary policy as a research assistant at American University, Stanford University, and the Colombian Central Bank. Luisa holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Xavierian Pontifical University and is a second-year master’s student in economics at American University. She is fluent in both Spanish and English and is avidly learning French.
Gaia Bechara
Gaia Bechara is an intern with the Women, Business and the Law team, working with the labor team. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in economics at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, specializing in development economics. She holds two bachelor's degrees, one in political science and the other in economics. Before joining the team, she participated in research focusing on data collection and policy analysis in the Arab region. She is fluent in English, French, and Arabic.
Daniela Escobar
Daniela Escobar is a summer intern for the Women, Business and the Law project, where she supports different research projects on female empowerment. She is an economics PhD candidate at American University and holds a master’s degree from Universidad de Los Andes. Her research areas include development economics, health, gender, and macro policy. Before starting her PhD, Daniela worked as Chief Economist in ANIF, one of Colombia’s most respected think tanks, and research and consulting more generally. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and is learning French.
Costanza Greppi Maturana
Costanza Greppi Maturana holds a Master’s in Specialised Economic Analysis with a specialisation in International Trade, Finance, and Development from the Barcelona School of Economics. Prior to her master's, Costanza worked for a technology company for two years in Paris and London, where she leveraged data to deliver in-depth analyses and reports on the firm's performance along with the effects of trade regulations. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and French from King’s College London and spent a year as an exchange student at École Normale Supérieure (ENS) – Paris School of Economics. At university, Costanza’s research centered on enhancing female labor participation and investigating strategies for private sector companies to support women's sustained engagement in the workplace, demonstrating her commitment to gender equity and labor market dynamics. She also examined various forms of labor discrimination, including paternalistic discrimination, with the aim of assessing the effectiveness of potential labor market interventions to influence policy. As an Italian and Chilean, she is a native speaker in Italian, Spanish, and French, and fluent in English.