Marcela Meléndez is a Colombian economist currently serving as Deputy Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank. Her recent work examines the region's labour markets and how their structure relates to high inequality and low productivity. At the World Bank she also leads a regional knowledge agenda on organized crime and violence. Previously, she was Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean at the UNDP and a Partner and Director at Econestudio, a Colombian economic consulting firm. She has taught at the University of the Andes, served on several expert committees and boards of directors in Colombia, and until recently was a columnist for El Tiempo. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University.