Charles (Chip) Lyons, director of Special Initiatives in the Global Development Program, leads a learning and grantmaking team to address key crosscutting development issues that are central to reducing poverty and creating opportunity. Prior to joining the foundation, Lyons held several positions at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), including program officer, UNICEF Mozambique; chief of staff to the executive director at UNICEF headquarters; and president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
Lyons worked closely with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) from its inception in 2000. He served on the board and executive committee of the GAVI Fund, chairing the executive committee from 2004 to 2006.
Lyons is a member of the HIV Advisory Committee of Human Rights Watch and was a co-chair of the board of Rugmark, USA. He studied political economy at the New School for Social Research in New York and holds a bachelor's degree from Carleton College in Minnesota.