She previously worked at the World Bank as an operations analyst consultant. In this capacity, she worked in crime and violence prevention projects in Central America and peace building efforts in Colombia. Prior to joining the World Bank, she was a research assistant at the Transatlantic Academy and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Washington, DC. She was also a GIZ fellow in the nongovernmental organization Ciudad Saludable in Lima, Peru. Willenbrink earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations and conflict studies from the University College Maastricht in the Netherlands. She speaks fluent German, English, and Spanish.