Tsutomu Yamamoto has been appointed as Managing Director of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), according to an announcement from the World Bank Group. He will also lead the World Bank Group Guarantee Platform. Yamamoto, a Japanese national, is currently Senior Managing Executive Officer and Head of the Global Transaction Banking Unit at Mizuho Financial Group.
“Tsutomu Yamamoto has more than 30 years of experience in banking and finance at Mizuho,” said World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. “Given the crucial role guarantees have to play in mobilizing the private sector to create jobs, his expertise will be invaluable for growing our guarantee business.”
Yamamoto’s career spans both developing and advanced markets. He joined Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, which later became part of Mizuho, in 1991 and has since held various executive roles across the Americas, Asia, and Europe focused on international finance. His work includes building relationships with key stakeholders and leading global projects. He collaborated with Japan International Cooperation Agency on co-financing infrastructure development in emerging markets. As Head of Global Transaction Banking at Mizuho, he expanded services through partnerships with fintech companies in India and promoted digitalization efforts for electronic bank guarantees. Yamamoto holds a master’s degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from Keio University.
He will succeed Hiroshi Matano as head of MIGA. During Matano’s tenure, MIGA became home to the new World Bank Group Guarantee Platform, which brought together guarantee products from across the organization. In fiscal year 2025, total issuance through the platform reached $12.3 billion—an increase of 19 percent over the previous year.
Yamamoto is expected to begin his new role in early December.
The World Bank Group Guarantee Platform was launched in 2024 to consolidate guarantee products and experts within MIGA. The platform offers clients a simplified selection process for guarantee solutions that help reduce investment risks in developing countries while streamlining procedures and improving accessibility. The initiative aims to increase annual guarantee issuance by the World Bank Group to $20 billion by 2030 (https://www.worldbank.org/wbgguarantees).