Leslie Harper has over 20 years of experience as an international development professional, working on Latin America and the Caribbean, specializing in public procurement reform/modernization and gender and diversity inclusion. She joined the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in 1999, and currently serves as coordinator for the topic of public procurement for the Institutions for Development Department. She oversees programs in the 26 IDB member countries including portfolio and knowledge management. She is the Gender and Diversity Focal Point for the Fiscal Management Division where she is responsible for portfolio monitoring and mainstreaming of gender and diversity in fiscal projects. She has been the lead on high profile events and knowledge products to promote cutting edge trends in the topic.
Ms. Harper is the author of multiple publications and has participated as a speaker in numerous events in the US and overseas. Ms. Harper has an undergraduate degree from the Elliot School of International Relations at the George Washington University, a Master’s Degree in Latin American Studies from the University of London, and she was an awarded an Executive Certificate in Public Financial Management from John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.