Foundation Announces Geoffrey Lamb as Managing Director, Public Policy

SEATTLE -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced that Geoffrey Lamb has been named Managing Director, Public Policy.

As managing director, public policy, Lamb will serve as the senior advisor on international policy development to the co-chairs, Bill and Melinda Gates, CEO Patty Stonesifer, and the leadership of the foundation's three program areas—Global Health, Global Development and U.S. Programs. He will lead the foundation's work on cross-cutting public policy issues. Lamb and his team will partner with public policy colleagues in each of the foundation's three program areas (Global Health, Global Development and U.S. Programs) to help build strategic relationships that are critical to the foundation's work and mission to reduce inequity.

Geoff Lamb has been a Senior Fellow for Global Development at the foundation since September 2006. Prior to this, Lamb held several senior development positions at the World Bank, most recently as Vice President, Concessional Finance and Global Partnerships. In that capacity, he led international negotiations on the replenishment of funding for the International Development Association (IDA) and on the G8 debt reduction initiative, through which governments agreed on the financial framework to forgive the multilateral debt owed by 40 of the world's poorest countries. He also led the World Bank's work on the financing of global public goods, including the development of the International Finance Facility (IFF) and Advanced Market Commitments (AMCs), and the funding of the Global Environment Facility.

Lamb was born in South Africa, and educated in South Africa and the United Kingdom, where he was a Fellow of the Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University. He is an Irish citizen.

"I am honored to move into this new role at the foundation, working with a committed team to build global partnerships to address some of the world's most serious issues," Lamb said. "These alliances will be critical in order to advance the foundation's mission—increasing opportunity and equity for the world's poorest people."

To reduce inequities in the United States and around the world, foundation programs and investments are focused in three areas—improving global health, reducing global poverty, and strengthening education in the United States. To achieve its goal, the foundation focuses on a limited set of problems; promotes innovative solutions; creates partnerships with businesses, government, and others to find solutions; and shares results and adjust its strategies through learning.

"Geoff has added tremendous value during the past year as we have rapidly grown our global efforts," said Patty Stonesifer, CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "In this new leadership role, Geoff will be central in the foundation's efforts to enlist governments and advocacy groups in the global struggle to help all people—no matter where they live—lead healthy and productive lives."

Lamb will begin his new role at the foundation February 4, 2008 and will be based in the foundation’s east coast office in Washington DC.