The Arnold D. Kates Lecture presents Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation

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, 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, he has reshaped and re-envisioned a government agency to tackle even the most intractable challenges.

From 2010 to 2015, Shah led the efforts of nearly 10,000 staff in more than seventy countries around the world as administrator of USAID. Under his leadership, he 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, Shah demonstrated leadership, passion, and remarkable skills in garnering support from both sides of the aisle in Congress. Having been at the forefront of worldwide emergency and crisis management, he 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, 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, he 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 eight years at the 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.

Sponsored by the Arnold D. Kates Lecture Fund.  The Arnold D. Kates Lectureship, established in 2000, celebrates creativity and innovation, particularly in health-related issues.

Open to the public free of charge.

For more information, contact Jennifer Berube Lord at jberube@bowdoin.edu.

A livestream of this talk will be available on Bowdoin's live events website: https://www.bowdoin.edu/live/index.html

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