Samantha Power, currently director of USAID, is among those being floated by US officials as possible candidates for the job of World Bank president, Reuters reports.
Incumbent David Malpass unexpectedly said on Wednesday he would resign in June.
The bank has historically been headed by someone from the US, its largest shareholder, while a European heads the IMF, but developing countries and emerging markets are pushing to widen those choices.
Power, also a longtime human rights advocate, diplomat and former journalist, served as US ambassador to the United Nations under President Barack Obama.
She is a friend of president Ranil Wickremesinghe as well as a close friend of the late minister Mangala Samaraweera.
She attended a 2019 celebration held in Colombo to mark Samaraweera’s 30 years in politics.
Paying a tribute following his death, Power described him as a remarkable public servant and one of the most remarkable individuals she has ever known.
Other names mentioned to succeed Malpass are Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, current head of the World Trade Organization, Gayle Smith, former USAID administrator and currently CEO of One Campaign, Rajiv Shah, former USAID administrator and currently president of the Rockefeller Foundation, Minouche Shafik, currently president of the London School of Economics and Wally Adeyemo, deputy secretary of the US Treasury.
