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Shalini Unnikrishnan

Shalini Unnikrishnan is a professional with extensive experience in governance and development, particularly in Africa. She served as the Country Head for the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) in Malawi from July to December 2012.1 Her involvement with AGI also included a role as Governance Advisor from September 2009 to July 2010.1

Unnikrishnan's career extends beyond her work with AGI:

Professional Experience

  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG): She currently holds the position of Managing Director & Senior Partner, serving as the Global Lead for Societal Impact in the Consumer and Social Impact practices.2

  • Previous Roles: Her career includes positions such as Summer Associate at Genentech and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Director of Operations at Core Concept Inc., and Business Analyst at McKinsey & Co.1

Expertise and Focus

Unnikrishnan specializes in work at the intersection of private, public, and social sectors. Her expertise includes:

  • Co-authoring "Total Societal Impact," exploring how companies can gain business and societal value through core operations.2
  • Extensive work in emerging markets, focusing on agriculture, financial inclusion, women's empowerment, and economic development.2
  • Supporting global health and education coalitions and designing public-private partnerships for consumer companies.2

Notable Achievements

  • Served as an advisor on economic development within African presidencies.2
  • Supported the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response in West Africa.2
  • Selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar, a program led by former President George W. Bush.2
  • Currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Tony Blair Foundation.2

Unnikrishnan's work demonstrates a strong commitment to improving governance and fostering development in Africa and beyond, leveraging her experience across various sectors to drive impactful change.

Highlights

Dec 13 · linkedin

COP28 UAE was a historic moment for food and agriculture systems.   As I reflect on the past 14 days and the numerous events I had the pleasure to lead and the many discussions with inspiring sustainability leaders, I leave with renewed sense of enthusiasm that transforming our food systems is possible if we continue to:

• Raise government ambition and turn ambition into practical change – 150+ countries endorsed the COP28UAE Food declaration! This is truly significant! • Unlock financing at scale to support the transition - conversations such as the ones with Ertharin Cousin, Joao Campari, Aaron Vermeulen, Eriola Beetz Sunnyland Farms brought together finance with supply chains, and the potential is exciting! • Enhance farmer centricity of efforts, particularly in the Global South and for women. My colleagues Sushma Vasudevan, Chris Mitchell, Jack Bugas Benjamin Subei, Aparna Bijapurkar led various discussions with governments, NGOs and corporates • Embrace technology and AI – Colleagues David Potere moderated a discussion around the role tech and data in advancing the transparency and acceleration of food systems • Embrace bold ideas for public-private partnerships such as the highlighted by the conversation with Rich Lesser, Sec Vilsack and Ertharin Cousins • Bridge across value chains siloes –I was particularly excited to launch the COP28 Action Agenda on Regenerative Landscapes with WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development, High-Level Climate Champions, COP28 UAE together with 26 leading organizations and I look forward to implement our ambition.   Stay connected and read more about BCG’s latest insights around Food Systems & Security: https://lnkd.in/eJ4X8qMm   Diane Holdorf, David Nabarro, Kristofer Hamel, Gonzalo Muñoz Abogabir CMG,   Madgi Batato (#Nestlé), Rob Cameron (#Nestlé), Dorothy Shaver (#unilever), Jim Andrews (#Pepsico), Suzanna von Tilburg (#Rabobank), Svein Tore (#Yara), Melissa Pinfield (#Meridien), Luisa Volpe (#Wfo ), Ronald Hartman (#IFAD), Saswati Bora (#TNC), Jai Schroff (#UPL), Hanry Fovargue (#Sysco), Michael Gelchie (#LDC), Alyson Taylor (#ADM), Marcelo Mena (Global Methane Hub), Jeanette Coombs (#Danone), Governo do Estado do Para, Gabriela Burian (#Bayer), Julie Greene (Olam Agri)

Jul 26 · linkedin

Transforming our #foodsystems is an imperative, paving the way for sustainability, resilience, accessibility, and a nature-positive future.

It was amazing to be at the United Nations Food Systems Summit in Rome, where a lot of ground has been covered, but much remains to be done.

We are happy to announce that BCG is co-chairing a new initiative with the COP28 UAE Presidency, UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, and WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development to promote the widespread adoption of #regenerativeagriculture in large food landscapes through the “COP28-COP30 Action Agenda on Regenerative Landscapes."

Learn more in BCG’s latest publication on food systems: https://on.bcg.com/46YEUbY

Related Questions

What specific projects has Shalini Unnikrishnan led at the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative?
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How does Shalini Unnikrishnan's background in governance compare to her work in the private sector?
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Shalini Unnikrishnan
Shalini Unnikrishnan, photo 1
Shalini Unnikrishnan, photo 2
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Location

Boston, Massachusetts