Vice President for Leadership, Learning and Innovation, World Bank; USA
The big development challenges that we confront in our society today – corruption, climate change, lack of quality health, education or sanitation – all require complementary actions by government, private sector and civil society. Collaborative leadership across these stakeholder groups must be the driver for tackling these challenges and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals that were endorsed by leaders from around the world in September at the UN General Assembly. We will not move from billions to trillions of financing for development without a new level of public-private partnership. We will not overcome entrenched networks of corruption without coalitions of integrity including leaders from business, government, civil society, media and parliaments. This year’s International Leadership Symposium would look to herald this type of collaborative leadership for development – leaders across sectors in society who seek to serve others, with others for tackling our biggest development challenges.
Mr. Sanjay Pradhan leads the leadership, learning and innovation for development agenda of the World Bank Group. He played a leading role in the recent change process at the World Bank Group. He is also a member of the President’s Senior Management Team.
Previously, Mr. Pradhan was the Vice President leading the World Bank Institute where he championed the open development agenda centered around knowledge & learning, collaboration and innovation. Mr. Pradhan is a recognized authority on governance and anticorruption issues. He served as the World Bank’s Director for Governance, where he led the development of the Bank’s Governance and Anticorruption Strategy, and provided strategic directions on improving governance and combating corruption.
Prior to that, Mr. Pradhan has a distinguished research record with extensive experience working in developing countries in South Asia, Europe and Central Asia, and East and West Africa. He has authored numerous publications including being a principal author of the 1997 World Development Report, The State in a Changing World. He has addressed major high-level forums including the European Parliament, the British House of Commons, the BBC World Debate, and the TED Global Conference.
Mr. Pradhan holds a PhD and a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.