Dr. Barbara Kotschwar is the Executive Director of the Visa Economic Empowerment Institute, leading the team of fellows and setting the research agenda. Until October 2018 she worked with the Investment Policy team at the World Bank, spearheading thought leadership on services and investment policy.

Before that she was a Fellow with the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) where her research focused on trade, investment, and regional integration. She has worked with the Inter-American Development Bank, World Trade Organization and Organization of American States and has advised governments and institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

She has published numerous books and articles on international trade, investment, and regional integration. Barbara holds a doctorate from Johns Hopkins SAIS and degrees in economics and political science from McGill University. She is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.