When Thomas Laursen and his family set their feet on Polish soil on a sunny day in the spring of 2004, not only the summer was in the making, but so was modern Polish history. A month later, Poland and seven other Central and Eastern European countries joined the European Union family of nations, opening a whole new chapter in post-transitional Europe. There couldn’t have been a better timing for a seasoned economist with over 15 years of experience in development programs to join the Poland Word Bank office. His former experience with the Danish National Bank and the International Monetary Fund would prove priceless in complementing a team assisting a country that was once referred to by Norman Davies as “God’s Playground”. This country was now on a path to rapid growth; but was still facing considerable challenges. Thomas, as the Lead Economist for Central Europe and the Baltic Countries, was in charge of the World Bank’s economic work in the region. He was also an active member of a team supporting the Government in its efforts to address development challenges and improve the lives of ordinary Poles. One of his major achievements was the initiation of a series of regular Regional Economic Reports and Public Finance Studies as well as the coordination of rapid turnaround Public Expenditure Reviews in Latvia and Slovakia. Looking back, Thomas recalls: “I was quickly impressed by the high-quality of the local staff and of our government counterparts, and soon discovered the friendliness of Polish people and the many beautiful places around the country. I am very happy to have the opportunity to extend my stay here and continue the process of strategic engagement and building trust with key partners that Oscar de Bruyn Kops led over the past year”. Thomas may be a man of few words, but he acts by doing - and doing instantly and successfully. “I am not sure how he does it but he makes things happen. Maybe because 'the world responds to action, and not much else' as Scott Adams said” comments Emilia Skrok, the Senior Economist in the Warsaw office and one of Thomas’ closest co-workers over the past four years. Ewa Korczyc, the Warsaw Office’s Research Analyst adds: “I have been working with Thomas for the last 2.5 years and I really enjoyed that. I learnt a lot from him - he has always been an inspiring boss, a great mentor and a nice guy. I am sure he is going to be great at his new job.” On September 8th Thomas takes over as the new Country Manager for Poland and the Baltic Countries. He will be responsible for leading the World Bank's dialogue with the Governments of Poland and the Baltic Countries on a broad range of policy issues and the World Bank's engagement in the countries. He will also be managing the World Bank's current work program and ongoing portfolio. This is especially important since the Poland team is now looking to embark on a campaign of rebranding its image and re-focusing their business model to better suit the needs of a European Union member state. To be able to put up with the long and restless hours one needs to To be able to put up with the long and restless hours one needs to have a proper work–life balance. Thomas and his wife of twelve years, Francesca, a Legal Counsel with the Bank currently on sabbatical have three sons: Alexander, Kristian, and Peter, age 13, 11, and 5, respectively. They found their home in the tranquil Konstancin - Jeziorna area just 40 minutes outside of Warsaw and it’s their favorite place to be at. In his free time, Thomas enjoys hiking in the mountains, with Rysy being the next summit to conquer. He is also a good skier, sailor, and tennis player. He likes children very much and enjoys coaching children soccer. Naturally, the boys play too. Orsalia Kalantzopoulos, the Country Director for Central Europe and the Baltic Countries says: “The Central Europe team and I are delighted that Thomas has accepted to lead our work and dialogue in Poland and the Baltic countries -- especially as he had to turn down a very interesting assignment elsewhere in the Bank! Thomas enjoys the trust of our Polish counterparts, and he is admired for his analytical rigor and sharp mind. He will provide continuity to the country program through his first-hand knowledge of the challenges on the ground and our clients. Thomas is an outstanding mentor of young talent, has great interpersonal skills, is strategic but also pays attention to detail - all qualities which are important to being an effective manager. Last but not least, Thomas has a great sense of humor and knows how to have fun! We are very happy to have Thomas on our team.”
“Ja też jestem bardzo zadowolony! Wszytko Bedzie dobrze! (I am also very pleased! Everything will be fine!) ” says Thomas in the mean time in his good Polish. | 
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