Who is Ajay Banga on Trump’s new Gaza 'Board of Peace'?

Ajay Banga joins Trump’s peace board

The White House on Saturday announced the creation of the “Board of Peace,” part of US President Donald Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan aimed at overseeing phase two of efforts to end the Gaza conflict. Trump will chair the board, which also features Indian-origin World Bank President Ajay Banga, alongside other notable figures.

Other members of the Board of Peace include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, and US Deputy National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel.

Ajay Banga: From Khadki to the World Bank

Banga, the 14th President of the World Bank Group, was nominated by former US President Joe Biden in February 2023 and assumed office on June 2, 2023. “I have sought to transform the 80-year-old institution into a faster, more efficient, and more impactful partner in development,” he has said, according to the World Bank Group’s official website.

Born on November 10, 1959, in Khadki, Maharashtra, Banga comes from a Sikh family; his father served as an officer in the Indian Army. He completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Economics at St Stephen’s College, Delhi, in 1981, before pursuing a postgraduate management programme at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Before leading the World Bank, Banga was Vice Chairman at General Atlantic and previously served as President and CEO of Mastercard. He was also Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce from 2020 to 2022 and has served on the boards of organisations including the American Red Cross, Kraft Foods, and Dow Inc. He co-founded the Cyber Readiness Institute.

Banga’s achievements have been recognised worldwide, with honours such as the Singapore Public Service Star in 2022, India’s Padma Shri in 2016, the Foreign Policy Association Medal in 2012, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honour.