Rajiv Shah

This article is about the Obama administration official and president of the Rockefeller Foundation. For the Trump administration official, see Raj Shah.
Raj Shah
13th President of the Rockefeller Foundation
Incumbent
Assumed office
March 1, 2017
Preceded byJudith Rodin
16th Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
In office
January 7, 2010 – February 19, 2015
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byAlonzo Fulgham (acting)
Succeeded byAlfonso E. Lenhardt (acting)
Personal details
Born (1973-03-09) March 9, 1973 (age 51)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseShivam Mallick
EducationUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor (BS)
University of Pennsylvania (MS, MD)

Rajiv J. "Raj" Shah (born March 9, 1973) is an American physician, economist and executive. He is the president of the Rockefeller Foundation and a former government official and health economist who served as the sixteenth administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2010 to 2015. Shah is the author of the book Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Occurs, which was released by Simon Element on October 10, 2023.[1]

Early life and career

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Shah was born to Indian Gujarati immigrant parents who settled in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the late 1960s.[2][3][4][5] Shah is an adherent of the Hindu faith.[6] He grew up in the Detroit area and attended Wylie E. Groves High School. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He went on to earn a Master of Science in Health Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine. Shah also spent time at the London School of Economics where he earned a general course certificate in economics.[7] During the 2000 Gore-Lieberman Presidential Campaign, Shah was a health policy advisor and research associate. He also served as a member of Governor Ed Rendell's (D-PA) transition committee on health.[8]

The Gates Foundation

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Shah joined the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2001, serving in a range of leadership roles including Director of Agricultural Development, Director of Strategic Opportunities, Deputy Director of Policy and Finance and Chief Economist.

Shah was also responsible for developing the International Finance Facility for Immunization, which raised more than $5 billion for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). IFFI has been recognized as an example of the power of innovative financing for global development.[9]

Obama administration

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United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

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Shah was nominated by President Obama to serve as Chief Scientist and Undersecretary of Agriculture for Research, Education and Economics on April 17, 2009. He was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on May 12, 2009.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

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January 7, 2010: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the swearing-in ceremony of Shah as new USAID administrator in Washington, DC.

Shah was nominated to serve as the sixteenth administrator of USAID on November 10, 2009 and confirmed by the United States Senate unanimously on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2009.[10] He was sworn into office by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on January 7, 2010.[11][12][13]

Emergency management

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On his fifth day as administrator, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti, that destroyed the capital and killed more than 200,000 citizens. Shah was tasked by President Obama to lead the United States response to the disaster, launching one of the largest humanitarian efforts in history.[14]

Reforming USAID

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Shah worked to reform how USAID conducted business. He promoted a new model of development based on engagement with the private sector.[15] He earned bipartisan support for his efforts, which included increasing his Agency's budget growth during a time of sequestration.[16]

Food security reform

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Shah led efforts to reform food security in an effort to fight against hunger around the world.[17] Shah used the Camp David G8 Summit in 2012 to attract private investment commitments to the effort.[18]

Maternal and child health

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As administrator of USAID, Shah restructured $2.9 billion of global health investments to focus on cost-effective ways to save lives of children under the age of five in priority countries.[19] He created a partnership co-led by Ethiopia, India and UNICEF, "A Promise Renewed", to have more than one hundred partner countries restructure health priorities and invest in measurement to deliver better outcomes.[20] As a result of these and other efforts, the global level of child deaths is coming down faster than previously expected.[21]

Shah briefs Dr. Jill Biden, Dr. Bill Frist, and others en route to Dagahaley refugee camp, Aug. 8, 2011. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

U.S. Global Development Lab

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Shah continued building on his new model of development in 2014 when he announced the establishment of the United States Global Development Lab.[22][23]

Power Africa

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In 2013, President Obama launched Power Africa, bringing together technical and legal experts, the private sector, and governments from around the world to work in partnership to increase the number of people with access to power.[24][25] As administrator, Shah led the administration's efforts to secure billions of dollars of private investments for African power development to bring more than 26,000 MW of power online.[26]

Later career

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After Shah resigned from USAID on January 30, 2015,[27] he was appointed Distinguished Fellow in Residence at Georgetown University, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, developing and teaching a graduate seminar on Rethinking Global Development and National Security policy with an emphasis on fragile states, data and innovation.[28] He also founded and serves as Managing Partner for Latitude Capital, a global emerging markets power and infrastructure private equity firm.[29]

United Nations High-Level Panel on the Global Response to Health Crises

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In 2015, Shah was one of six global leaders appointed by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to review the world's capacity to prepare for and respond to global pandemic threats. The panel presented their findings and recommendations to the Secretary General, UN General Assembly, and the G8 and G20 groups of leaders.[30]

Moneyball for Government

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Shah co-authored a bipartisan chapter in the second edition of the book Moneyball for Government with Michael Gerson, former assistant to the president for policy and strategic planning under President George W. Bush.[31] The chapter, titled "Foreign Assistance and the Revolution of Rigor," calls for data and evidence to drive U.S. foreign aid and provides a roadmap for improving and sustaining foreign assistance programs.[32]

The Rockefeller Foundation

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On January 5, 2017, the board of trustees announced the unanimous selection of Shah to serve as the thirteenth president of the Rockefeller Foundation.[33] He assumed office on March 1, 2017, succeeding Dr. Judith Rodin, who had served as president for nearly twelve years. Shah is the first-ever Indian-American to serve as president of the foundation.[34][35] The mission of the Foundation is to improve the lives of humanity around the world.[36]

Book

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Shah authored the book Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Occurs, which was released by Simon Element on October 10, 2023.[37] The book focuses on his career and his perspective on effective organizational change.[38]

Awards and recognition

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Shah has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award (2013); the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, the highest official honor for non-resident Indian, awarded by the President of India (2011);[39] the U.S. Global Leadership Council Tribute Award (2014); and the Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award for Child Nutrition (2014).

Shah has been awarded numerous honorary degrees including American University, Doctor of International Affairs (2012), Tuskegee University, Doctor of Science (2012), and Colby College, Doctor of Laws (2011).[citation needed]

Board and affiliations

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Shah currently sits on numerous boards including Trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation,[42] International Rescue Committee, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Results for America, Trilateral Commission, the Atlantic Council and The National Geographic Society.[43] He is also a member on the Council of Foreign Relations[44] On January 4, 2017 he was elected President of the Rockefeller Foundation, the first Indian-American to hold that post.[45] Shah is a member of the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee.[46]

Personal life

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Shah is married to Shivam Mallick Shah. They have three children and currently reside in Washington, D.C.[47]

References

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  1. ^ "Rajiv J. Shah on 'Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens'". Washington Post. 2023-10-09. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  2. ^ "Rajiv Shah: Meet the Gujarati who may replace Nancy Powell as US Ambassador to India". The Times of India. New Delhi. April 1, 2014. Archived from the original on May 14, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  3. ^ Datta-Ray, Sunanda K (April 27, 2009). "Showcasing Gujarat, abroad". Rediff. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  4. ^ Vora, Sanjay (April 3, 2014). "Mul Gujarati Rajiv Shah Americi Rajdoot Banshe?" મૂળ ગુજરાતી રાજીવ શાહ અમેરિકી રાજદૂત બનશે? [Will Gujarati-origin Rajiv Shah become American ambassador?]. Divya Bhaskar. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  5. ^ Chitnis, Deepak (April 1, 2014). "USAID chief Rajiv Shah touted to become the next US ambassador to India". The American Bazaar. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  6. ^ "Religion and Ethics News Weekly Rajiv Shah Extended Interview Season15 6:43". PBS. Feb 17, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2021./
  7. ^ https://www.alumni.lse.ac.uk/show_module_fw2.aspx?sid=1623&gid=1&ecid=5587&control_id=644&nologo=1&cvprint=1&page_id=252&crid=0&scontid=-1&viewas=user Archived 2017-03-07 at the Wayback Machine>
  8. ^ "Intriguing people for January 14, 2010 - CNN.com". CNN. Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  9. ^ Marilyn Chase (2005-04-26). "Malaria Trial Could Set a Model For Financing of Costly Vaccines". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  10. ^ Rozen, Laura. "Breaking: Rajiv Shah for USAID administrator". Politico. Archived from the original on 2016-11-30. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  11. ^ "Rajiv Shah Sworn in as USAID Administrator". ONE. 2010-01-07. Archived from the original on 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  12. ^ "Remarks at a Swearing-In Ceremony for Dr. Rajiv Shah as USAID Administrator". USAID. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  13. ^ "Remarks at Swearing-In Ceremony of Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of U.S. Agency for International Development". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 2017-02-10. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  14. ^ Rucker, Philip (2010-01-15). "Officials hail USAID chief's crisis management skills". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  15. ^ Landler, Mark (2010-10-22). "Dr. Rajiv Shah Seeks to Cure the Ills of Usaid". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  16. ^ "USAID's Shah Forges Unlikely Relationships With Conservative Republican Members". Roll Call. 2013-01-21. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  17. ^ Nixon, Ron (2014-05-19). "U.S. Initiative on Hunger Aids Millions, Report Finds". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  18. ^ "Rajiv Shah". Feed the Future. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  19. ^ "With help of private industry, USAID review finds $2.9 billion for maternal, child health". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  20. ^ "Ending Preventable Maternal and Child Deaths: A Promise Renewed". Archived from the original on 2016-10-16. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  21. ^ Editorial Board (2012-05-30). "A startling and welcome drop in child mortality". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2016-11-12. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  22. ^ "Global Development Lab". USAID. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  23. ^ Gewen, Virginia (2014). "US agency shifts approach to global poverty". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2014.14983. S2CID 155817664. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  24. ^ "Power Africa | U.S. Agency for International Development". USAID. Archived from the original on 2013-07-26. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  25. ^ "FACT SHEET: Power Africa". whitehouse.gov. 2013-06-30. Archived from the original on 2017-01-23. Retrieved 2016-10-17 – via National Archives.
  26. ^ "Billions of dollars in deals and funding to be announced at Africa summit". Reuters. 2016-08-03. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  27. ^ Nixon, Ron (2014-12-17). "Chief of Agency for International Development to Step Down". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  28. ^ Pongsajapan, Robert (2015-02-18). "Georgetown Appoints USAID Administrator As SFS Distinguished Fellow". Georgetown University. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  29. ^ "Latitude Capital". Latitude Capital. Archived from the original on 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  30. ^ "Secretary-General Appoints High-Level Panel on Global Response to Health Crises". United Nations. Archived from the original on 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  31. ^ "Can Moneyball for Government Maximize Impact on the Ground?". Georgetown University. Archived from the original on 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  32. ^ "With Help of Private Industry, USAID Review Finds $2.9 Billion for Maternal, Child Health". Moneyball for Government. 2014-06-25. Archived from the original on 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  33. ^ "The Rockefeller Foundation Names Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, Former USAID Administrator, as Next President". Archived from the original on 2017-01-07. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  34. ^ Gelles, David (2017-01-04). "Rockefeller Foundation Picks Rajiv J. Shah, a Trustee, as President". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-01-05. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  35. ^ "The Rockefeller Foundation Names Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, Former USAID Administrator, as Next President - The Rockefeller Foundation". The Rockefeller Foundation. Archived from the original on 2017-01-07. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  36. ^ Awojulugbe, Oluseyi (November 22, 2019). "Ndidi Nwuneli appointed board member of The Rockefeller Foundation". Cable Newspaper Ltd. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  37. ^ "Rajiv J. Shah on 'Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens'". Washington Post. 2023-10-09. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  38. ^ Lenkowsky, Leslie. "'Big Bets' Review: Trying to Reach Audacious Goals". WSJ. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  39. ^ "USAID administrator wins Pravasi Bharatiya Samman - Rediff.com India News". Rediff. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  40. ^ "Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, 2020 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medalist in Citizen Leadership".
  41. ^ "TIME100 Climate 2023: Rajiv J. Shah". Time. 2023-11-16.
  42. ^ "Rajiv Shah - The Rockefeller Foundation". The Rockefeller Foundation. Archived from the original on 2016-10-23. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  43. ^ "National Geographic Society Names Three New Trustees: Ellen Stofan, Joseph M. DeSimone and Rajiv Shah". 11 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-12-13. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  44. ^ "Membership Roster | Council on Foreign Relations". Archived from the original on 2019-02-08. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  45. ^ Gelles, David (5 January 2017). "Rockefeller Foundation Picks Rajiv J. Shah, a Trustee, as President". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-01-05. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  46. ^ "Defense Policy Board". policy.defense.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  47. ^ "DC's Power Couples | Washingtonian (DC)". June 16, 2011. Archived from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
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Media related to Rajiv Shah at Wikimedia Commons

Political offices
Preceded by Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
2010–2015 		Succeeded by
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