WASHINGTON, April 29, 2026-The World Bank Group announced the appointment of Maria Thestrup as Vice President of Integrity.
Thestrup will oversee independent investigations into allegations of fraud and corruption involving World Bank Group-financed projects and activities, as well as staff and corporate vendors. She will also lead efforts to mitigate integrity risks, introduce best practices in fraud and corruption prevention, and help foster the highest standards of institutional integrity across the World Bank Group.
Integrity is not a compliance obligation for the World Bank Group - it is a core value. Investing in the right leadership to carry it forward reflects how central it is to everything we do.
A Danish national, Thestrup brings more than 25 years of global experience in integrity, ethics, compliance, and investigations across international organizations and the private sector. Most recently, Thestrup served as Chief Ethics, Risk and Compliance Officer at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, where she provided oversight and guidance on an enterprise-wide basis concerning ethics, risk management, and compliance. She has also held senior leadership roles at LEO Pharma and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Thestrup is admitted to the Danish Bar and holds advanced law degrees from the University of Copenhagen and King's College London.
Thestrup succeeds Lisa G. Rosen, who has been serving as Acting Vice President of Integrity since January 2026.
