Anabel González

Anabel González (Costa Rica, 22 August 1963) is an economic development expert, with over 30 years of experience in trade, investment, competitiveness, and the role of the private sector.

She is currently Vice President for Countries at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Anabel González has a law degree from the University of Costa Rica and a master's degree in International Trade Law and Policy from Georgetown University (US).

She has also completed specialized studies in international trade at the Center for Applied Studies in International Negotiations in Geneva and at Harvard University.

Anabel González was appointed vice president for Countries at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in September 2023.

In this position she leads the Bank's relationship with its member countries, the formulation of country strategies and regional initiatives, as well as the programming and supervision of the Bank's public sector operations.

She also held key positions in the government of Costa Rica from 1991 to 2004, including Special Ambassador and Chief Negotiator (2002–2004), Vice Minister of Foreign Trade (1998–2001), and Director General of Trade Negotiations (1991–1997).

Additionally, she served as General Director of CINDE (a non-profit investment promotion agency) in 2001 and 2002.

Between 2010 and 2014, she assumed the role of Minister of Trade of Costa Rica, playing a pivotal role in country's pursuit to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

During this period, she negotiated major free trade agreements and contributed to attracting numerous foreign direct investment projects.

From 2014 to 2018, she was a Senior Director of the World Bank's Global Practice on Trade & Competitiveness, where she implemented solutions to boost private initiative, foster dynamic economies, and enable governments to expand market opportunities.

Anabel González also worked as Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington DC, where she conducted research and published on trade policy and economic integration, also launching the "Trade Winds" virtual interview series.

Simultaneously, she served as a senior advisor in the Global Advantage and Social Impact practices at Boston Consulting Group, assisting clients across the public and private sector around the world.

After this, she served as the Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), facilitating trade negotiations among the institution's country members, including trade-related aspects of the pandemic.

In this capacity, she oversaw economic research, market access, services trade and investment, and intellectual property divisions.

She also expanded the knowledge agenda in collaboration with other international organizations, managed the relationship with Latin America and the Caribbean, and supported the strategic positioning of the WTO.

González has written in numerous publications on trade, investment, and economic development, and has presented papers in more than 70 countries.