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Rajiv J. Shah
President at The Rockefeller Foundation
Dr. Rajiv J. Shah is a prominent American physician, economist, and executive who currently serves as the President of The Rockefeller Foundation. Born on March 9, 1973, to Indian Gujarati immigrant parents in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Shah 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 and later earned a Master of Science in Health Economics from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.234
Shah has had a distinguished career spanning over two decades, with significant roles in government, philanthropy, and private equity. Notably, he served as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2009 to 2015, where he led responses to major crises such as the Haiti earthquake and the West African Ebola pandemic. He also played a crucial role in passing significant legislation like the Global Food Security Act and the Electrify Africa Act.356
Before joining USAID, Shah worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he helped launch initiatives such as the International Financing Facility for Immunization and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.46 He founded Latitude Capital, a private equity firm focused on infrastructure projects in Africa and Asia, after leaving USAID.16
As President of The Rockefeller Foundation since March 2017, Shah has continued to drive global initiatives aimed at improving health, food systems, energy access, and economic mobility. He is also the author of the book "Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens," released in October 2023, which outlines a model for achieving transformative change through strategic partnerships and bold investments.17
Shah is widely recognized for his leadership in building strong institutions and delivering lasting results across diverse sectors. His work has been acknowledged with several awards, including the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award and the U.S. Global Leadership Award.36


