I am thrilled to start work today as part of the CGD team. I look forward to leading this remarkable institution in the years to come and to forging ever stronger partnerships with all of you—CGD staff as well as our larger community of experts, board members, alumni, donors, partner institutions, and friends and well-wishers alike.
I have been touched by the personal messages of support and encouragement from so many of you since my appointment was announced and I want to thank you again for your good wishes.
Now, more than ever, the policy community needs rigorous, evidence-based research on how best to support development in both low- and middle-income countries. And I can think of no better place than CGD to push this agenda forward. Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to interact with a number of CGD colleagues and this has only reinforced my conviction that in this small institution, we house some of the brightest and most committed minds working on the pressing development policy issues of our times.
I want to pay tribute to Nancy Birdsall, whose genius has nurtured CGD into the formidable institution it now is. I am delighted that Nancy will be staying on as a Senior Fellow and comforted by the knowledge that I will be able to draw upon her for advice and institutional history.
I hope to engage with many of you in the coming weeks to get your views on how CGD can build on its strengths and also adapt to the changing—and challenging—environment for our future work. In the meantime, if you have a thought you would like to share, please send me an email at president@cgdev.org.
Disclaimer
CGD blog posts reflect the views of the authors, drawing on prior research and experience in their areas of expertise. CGD is a nonpartisan, independent organization and does not take institutional positions.