Carol Welch

Carol Welch leads the foundation’s work to expand economic opportunity in India, in areas including agriculture, financial inclusion, education, sanitation, and women’s economic empowerment. She previously served as chief of staff to the president of the Global Growth & Opportunity Division and director of the division’s Office of the President. While in that role, she also served as interim director of the Nutrition and Global Education teams and led a learning initiative that became part of the foundation’s Digital Public Infrastructure program.

Carol joined the foundation in 2008 as a program officer on the Global Development Policy & Advocacy team. Later, as a senior program officer, she led the Development Policy and Finance team’s work on aid policy and represented the foundation in the multiyear negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that the foundation’s top priorities—and commitment to eliminating extreme poverty—became core components of the 2030 goals. She went on to serve as a deputy director on the Africa team, where she shaped strategies for the foundation’s work in Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania. Over the years, Carol has represented the foundation in external relations with donors, governments of low- and middle-income countries, and international institutions.

Earlier, Carol worked for the United Nations Development Programme and Friends of the Earth. She has a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.