Z. Joe Kulenovic

Z. Joe Kulenovic is a senior international development executive with expertise across a wide range of functional areas and world regions, combining World Bank and USAID project know-how with hands-on operational experience in one of the most international US states – Florida. Areas of specialty include international trade and investment, economic competitiveness, strategic planning, institutional capacity building, public-private partnerships and stakeholder engagement, industry value chains and cluster development, innovation and entrepreneurship, infrastructure and transportation, urban and regional development, and general project management. He is highly experienced at managing inter-disciplinary teams, building effective inter-institutional partnerships, and interfacing with senior public officials, donors, private-sector firms, non-profits, and universities. At present, Kulenovic is responsible for managing Florida’s network of 18 trade and investment promotion offices outside the United States, as well as leading efforts to attract foreign direct investment into the state. He previously served as Enterprise Florida’s Chief Economist and head of its Research Department for over a decade, creating its first modern statewide strategic plan for economic development, FDI attraction strategy, cluster development strategies, multiple analyses of the impact of free trade agreements, and studies of economic competitiveness. Other career highlights include working as Research Director for public-private partnerships for the U.S. Agency for International Development, consulting for the Inter-American Development Bank and the European Union, and a total of about nine years with the World Bank Group, in a variety of functional roles. At the World Bank, he led work on detailed case studies of economically competitive cities around the globe, seeking to understand their success in fostering inclusive economic growth and creating jobs. He also designed and/or implemented World Bank projects in urban transport, local and regional economic development, and building institutional capacity at economic development organizations/investment promotion agencies. With more than two decades of professional experience in international trade and development, Kulenovic has worked in or with over 30 countries on all continents. Recent operational experience outside the United States includes Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, El Salvador, France, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Having lived in nine countries on four continents, he has a working knowledge of several languages, including Croatian, French, Italian, and Spanish, as well as basic Russian and Japanese. Kulenovic holds a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary International Studies from the University of Belgrade, and a dual Master’s degree in Economics and International Relations from The Johns Hopkins University – The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC, and Bologna, Italy. He also holds professional certifications in Management, Gathering Competitive Intelligence, and Excellence in FDI & Investment Promotion (CEFDI).