The Rockefeller Foundation Appoints Rajiv Shah to Board of Trustees

NEW YORK, March 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Rockefeller Foundation, now in its second century of advancing the well-being of humanity, today announced the appointment of Dr. Rajiv Shah to its Board of Trustees. Dr. Shah was most recently head of the United States Agency for International Development, the international development arm of the Department of State, where he led a team of nearly 10,000 staff across more than 70 countries.

"The Rockefeller Foundation is committed to innovative thinking, and to forging effective partnerships in order to solve the biggest challenges of our time," said Board Chair David Rockefeller, Jr. "Dr. Shah is an international development renaissance man, equally knowledgeable in health and agriculture, with experience in philanthropy and government, all of which makes him an outstanding addition to our board. I am delighted to welcome him."

"Raj understands what our dual goals of promoting more inclusive economies and building greater resilience against shocks and stresses really mean in terms of improving lives around the world," said Dr. Judith Rodin, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. "He was a partner to the Foundation when we launched the Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa, and more recently the Global Resilience Partnership, and I'm very pleased that our work together will continue to grow in this new capacity."

As USAID administrator, Dr. Shah rethought how the agency could best deliver assistance in order to solve the more pressing development challenges of our time, elevating the role for innovation, for private sector partnerships, and shifting how and where dollars were spent with a focus on both building capacity and streamlining processes. Dr. Shah was well-regarded by the whole of Congress, and delivered results in countries facing democratic transitions, post-conflict situations, humanitarian crises, as well as those with previously lagging development scorecards.

"It's an honor to have been asked to join The Rockefeller Foundation Board of Trustees," said Dr. Shah. "The Foundation's history of innovation and risk-taking, and Dr. Rodin's leadership in particular, have been inspiring to my career. I'm excited to join the Board and make my own contributions to the Foundation's remarkable legacy of building fields, solving tough problems, and improving the lives of poor and vulnerable people."

Prior to USAID, Dr. Shah served as Undersecretary of Agriculture for Research, Education and Economics, and was chief scientist at the United States Department of Agriculture. He also joined the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in its earliest days, and led efforts in global health, agriculture, and financial services. A medical doctor by training, Dr. Shah also holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

About The Rockefeller Foundation
For more than 100 years, The Rockefeller Foundation's mission has been to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world. Today, The Rockefeller Foundation pursues this mission through dual goals: advancing inclusive economies that expand opportunities for more broadly shared prosperity, and building resilience by helping people, communities and institutions prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses. To achieve these goals, The Rockefeller Foundation works at the intersection of four focus areas—advance health, revalue ecosystems, secure livelihoods, and transform cities—to address the root causes of emerging challenges and create systemic change. Together with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation strives to catalyze and scale transformative innovations, create unlikely partnerships that span sectors, and take risks others cannot—or will not.

SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation

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