Tim Campbell, an American national, was employed by the World Bank from 1988 to 2005. Campbell earned a B.A. in Political Science from U.C. Berkeley in 1966, a Masters in City and Regional Planning from U.C. Berkeley in 1970, and a Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) in 1980. Prior to joining the Bank, Campbell worked for more than thirteen years both as private consultant for a variety of clients including the United Nations, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), USAID, other governments, private organizations and companies, and as an instructor and researcher at Stanford University and U.C. Berkeley. He also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer for two years.

Campbell joined the World Bank in May of 1988 in the Latin America and Caribbean Technical Department (LAT) as Senior Urban Planner in the Infrastructure and Energy Division (LATIE). LATIE was one of five Technical Departments which supported LAT Country Departments (CDs) by developing regional sector knowledge and policies. Among other projects, Campbell initially participated in the preparation of a proposed Guatemala Municipal Strengthening Project and in the appraisal of a proposed loan for a water and sewage project in Brazil. Campbell briefly held the position of Chief, Urban and Water Unit, from April, 1992, until December, 1992.

The Bank's 1993 reorganization terminated most of the Technical Departments in the LAT including the LATIE. Campbell was retained in the new Advisory Group (LATAD) as the Principal Urban Sector Specialist.

Campbell transferred from LAT to the Global Urban Unit of the Transportation, Water and Urban Development Department (TWUGL) in September of 1997; he later moved to TWU's Urban Development Division (TWURD) in July of 1999. Campbell remained in TWURD through 2001. However, the Division itself was moved into the Infrastructure Development Department (INF) in 2000 and the Transport and Urban Development Department (TUD) in 2001. During these years, Campbell served as the head of the Urban Partnership, whose objective was to develop a new urban and local government strategy and formulate city assistance strategies. To meet this objective, the Urban Partnership facilitated: city assistance strategies; city advisory services; research studies; information dissemination; and mayors' colloquia. Campbell also pioneered and served as the Bank-wide coordinator for the Bank's city development strategies (CDS), a new analytical tool focusing on cities as the unit of analysis in national development.

In 2001, Campbell moved to the World Bank Institute (WBI), the Bank's capacity development branch. He served as the head of the WBI Urban Team until his retirement from the Bank in December of 2005. The Urban Team was located in WBI's Finance and Private Sector Development division (WBIFP).

In the years following his retirement, Campbell regularly worked as a consultant for the World Bank in a variety of departments: WBIFP, Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAP), and two different Latin American and the Caribbean Sector units (LCS).

Campbell has authored a number of books during and after his time at the World Bank. These include: The Quiet Revolution (2003); Leadership and Innovation in Subnational Government: Case Studies from Latin America (editor, 2004); and Beyond Smart Cities?How Cities Network, Learn, and Innovate (2011).