The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors Thursday unanimously confirmed the nomination of Paul Wolfowitz as president of the World Bank.

“It is humbling to be entrusted with the leadership of this critically important international institution,” Wolfowitz said in response to the board’s decision.

Wolfowitz said in statement that he’s had talks with the entire board and has held discussions on the bank’s future with the development ministers from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Britain.

Wolfowitz added that he believes deeply in the bank’s mission of alleviating poverty. “Nothing is more gratifying than being able to help people in need and developing opportunities for all the people of the world to achieve their full potential,” he said. “I look forward now to deepening my understanding of the challenges facing the Bank through exchanging views with two key groups: the civil society organizations whose advice and views have become increasingly important in bank deliberations; and the extraordinary professional staff of the bank, who constitute the richest body of expertise in the world on the problems of economic development and poverty reduction.”

Wolfowitz currently serves as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense. He was previously dean and professor of international relations at Johns Hopkins University, served as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, and as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. He has a doctorate in political science from the University of Chicago.