Donal Brown of the United Kingdom has joined the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as Associate Vice-President of the Programme Management Department.

In his role at IFAD, Brown is responsible for developing and managing the operations that the Fund supports through its loans and grants. In addition, he oversees the programme of work of the department, which is undertaken by five regional divisions and the Operational Policy and Results Division.

Brown previously worked at the UK’s Department for International Development in a number of senior positions both at headquarters and in a range of countries. Most recently Brown was the Africa Director, managing 550 staff across the continent. In 2014-2015, he led UK’s Ebola Task Force in Sierra Leone and was awarded Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his efforts to control the crisis.

Until the outbreak of Ebola in May 2014, Sierra Leone, a country of 7 million people on the West African seaboard, had one of the highest economic growth rates in the world. IFAD, a specialized agency of the United Nations, supported the government in its fight against the Ebola outbreak and during the aftermath. As the largest and most active donor in the country’s agricultural sector, IFAD continues to contribute to Sierra Leone’s recovery, in particular to establish food security which is vital to health.

Brown brings to IFAD more than 25 years of international experience from across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. He holds a Master’s degree in Tropical Animal Health and Production from the University of Edinburgh, a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Leadership and Management from the University of Warwick and a Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science from the University of Bristol, as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Social Justice from the University of Winchester.