After a career of 28 years at the World Bank, Ismail Serageldin resigned on 10 July 2000 to return to his home country, Egypt. Serageldin started as a young Professional in 1972, and became a Vice president in October 1992 (effective January 1, 1993).

Throughout that long career, he has been known as an innovator who always pushed the envelope of current thinking with a view to introduce more of the "non-economic" facets of development into the mainstream paradigm: social issues, gender, environment, culture, and governance. An ardent advocate of the poor and the marginalized, he also built bridges between the civil society and the Bank. An overall assessment of Ismail Serageldin's career at the Bank is eloquently summed up in the statement released by World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn on the occasion of Serageldin's retirement.

 
Wolfensohn's Statement
The World Bank