Centennial Group Associates

Biography: Vinod K. Goel, Associate; Head, Global Knowledge and Innovation Practice

Dr. Vinod K. Goel, a former World Bank official is a leading expert on Private and Financial sectors, Knowledge Economy and Innovation systems. During his twenty-six year with the World Bank, he has worked on a variety of policy and operational projects in a number of countries. Dr. Goel has strong experience involving public and private institutions and corporate enterprises and has worked closely with the senior government officials, financial institutions, private and public enterprises and entities, NGOs and international and bilateral donor agencies.

Dr. Goel's expertise includes:

• Policy and regulatory reform related work, including development of strategies, dialogue with the stakeholders, and assistance with the design and implementation of the appropriate measures. Policy and regulatory reform related work, including development of strategies, dialogue with the stakeholders, and assistance with the design and implementation of the appropriate measures.
• Specific areas: knowledge and innovations systems, science and technology development (including standards, quality and intellectual property regimes, research and development institutions, technology diffusion and commercialization, technoparks and incubators), startups, seed capital, venture capital, enterprise privatization and restructuring, small and medium enterprise development, agricultural, rural and micro-finance, credit unions, institution building, energy efficiency, business infrastructure, business development.
• Operational work: design, appraisal and supervision of projects dealing with improving business environment, policy and regulatory reforms, enterprise competitiveness, knowledge and innovation & technology upgrading, financial sector reforms, credit lines, start-up businesses and business advisory services.

Dr. Goel is also an expert on business and financial management issues involving strategy formulation, planning, restructuring and resource management as well as business process and MIS/ ICT systems. He has completed a number of operational and financial policy papers. He is a Senior Advisor and Board member to small IT business companies advising senior management on business strategy, management and financial aspects.

Dr. Goel's experience covers world-wide countries including: Turkey, Russia, Croatia, Albania, Moldova, Poland, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, China, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Zambia, Sudan and others.

Assignments include leading role in World Bank's:

• Industrial Technology Development Project in Turkey dealing with the modernization of S&T infrastructure including upgrading of IPR regime and metrology systems, restructuring of R&D institutions, establishment of technology parks, venture capital and start-up capital funds, innovation enters, assistance to industry associations, technology support and business advisory services for private enterprises.
• Science and Technology Project in Croatia for reorienting Croatia's science & technology infrastructure including restructuring of research institutions, technology commercialization and diffusion, technology centers, venture capital, and technology services to improve competitiveness.
• Financial Institutions Development Project in Russia dealing with the strengthening of financial sector infrastructure including development of banking sector strategy, legislative and regulatory reforms, upgrading of banking institutions, bank liquidation, banking supervision.

Other notable assignments include:

• Design of World Bank programs to upgrade innovation systems in several countries.
• Support for World Bank's Knowledge Economy program in India involving a study on the Environment for Innovation and assistance to India's Knowledge Institutions.
• Preparation of World Bank's PSD/FSD programs in Russia involving development of the SME & banking sector, improvement of business and regulatory environment, support for credit bureaus and collateral registry systems.
• Management of Agro-processing Development Project in Albania, Privatization Implementation Assistance Project in Turkey, Privatization Implementation Assistance Project in Russia, Investment Recovery Project in Croatia and other operations.
• Participation in Asian Development Bank's PSD Technical Assistance Project in China involving formulation of institutional and regulatory reform programs, industrial survey, identifying constraints on private sector growth, and strengthening of chambers of industry & commerce system to promote growth of private sector in China.

Education and Qualifications: Ph.D. and MBA from Cornell University, USA, and Masters of Technology from NDRI, India. He also attended Executive Development Programs at the Wharton School of Finance in USA. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked in commercial/academic organizations. He has published books, research papers/manuals on technical and economic matters.