President, The Rockefeller Foundation
Dr. Rajiv Shah: Biography at a Glance
- Dr. Shah serves as President of The Rockefeller Foundation, a global institution with a mission to promote the well-being of humanity around the world.
- The Foundation applies data, science, and innovation to improve health, create sustainable food systems, end energy poverty, and enable economic mobility.
- In his book, Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens, Dr. Shah shares a dynamic new model for creating large-scale change, inspired by his own involvement with some of the largest humanitarian projects of our time.
- He was appointed USAID Administrator by President Obama and reshaped the $20 billion agency’s operations in over 70 countries by elevating innovation and creating high-impact public-private partnerships.
- He created the International Financing Facility for Immunization at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, helping reshape the global vaccine industry, and also founded Latitude Capital, a private equity firm focused on power and infrastructure projects in Africa and Asia.
- Dr. Shah is a sought-after speaker on innovation, leadership, crisis management, global health, and philanthropy.
Videos
Biography
Dr. Rajiv Shah has been a tireless and dedicated leader, committed to advancing the missions of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Department of Agriculture. Serving alongside some of the most innovative leaders in the world, navigating major natural disasters and man-made crises, Dr. Shah has successfully delivered results and lived up to USAID’s goal of partnering to end extreme poverty and to promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing security and prosperity. From developing infrastructure to igniting power in Africa, to empowering people around the world with skills and opportunities, Dr. Shah has reshaped and re-envisioned a government agency to tackle even the most intractable challenges.
From 2010 to 2015, Dr. Rajiv Shah led the efforts of nearly 10,000 staff in more than 70 countries around the world as administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Under his leadership, Dr. Shah elevated the importance of partnering with and financing the private sector, advocating for infrastructure development, incubating technology solutions and science, and restructuring how USAID delivered its assistance to solve the world’s most intractable development challenges. From extending mobile networks in West Africa to improve real-time data collection for the Ebola response, to creating the Tropical Forest Alliance with Unilever, P&G and other major consumer product firms, to accelerating the use of mobile banking in emerging markets, Dr. Shah demonstrated his leadership, passion and remarkable skills garnering support from both sides of the aisle in Congress. Having been at the forefront of worldwide emergency and crisis management, Dr. Shah understands what is required to take risks, act decisively, make sacrifices and confront injustice, while uniting constituencies to recognize the importance of his agency’s success for American global leadership.
Currently, Dr. Shah leads cutting-edge work as president of The Rockefeller Foundation, a global leader of innovative philanthropy at the forefront of providing solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. Previously, Dr. Shah served as under secretary of agriculture for research, education and economics and was chief scientist at the United States Department of Agriculture. He also spent 8 years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, at its inception, where he led efforts in global health, agriculture and financial services. Drawing from vast experiences, he shares captivating stories, insider perspectives and personal anecdotes with every audience. Attendees will better understand leadership in crisis situations, the hot-button issues impacting the global risks and opportunities of emerging markets, financial services and health care, and receive practical insights on disaster response, the future of technology innovation and leadership in business transformation.
Topics
Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens
President of The Rockefeller Foundation and former USAID Administrator, Dr. Rajiv Shah has helped vaccinate nearly a billion children, led high-pressure responses to the Haiti earthquake and against Ebola, dramatically expanded American Covid-19 testing at the height of the pandemic, and began connecting a billion people to electricity for the first time.
At a time rife with distrust and cynicism, Dr. Shah offers a refreshing perspective and shares stories that can help leaders everywhere, and at every level, reimagine what’s possible. Dr. Shah introduces the “Big Bet” mindset that encourages us to solve problems—in our lives, communities, companies, and countries--boldly rather than incrementally. Drawing from his successes - and even failures - Dr. Shah leaves audiences optimistic about our capacity to make large-scale change.
