Alvaro Lario is President of IFAD. He has more than 20 years of experience across academia, private sector asset management, World Bank Group and the United Nations, including as Associate Vice-President of Financial Operations at IFAD. President Lario received a PhD in Financial Economics from the Complutense University of Madrid, a Master of Research in Economics at the London Business School and a Master of Finance from Princeton University.

Phouthanouphet Saysombath is Deputy Minister of Finance of Lao’s People Democratic Republic. He previously served as Director General of the Tax Department and the National Treasury, and was Head of the Economics and Finance Division. Saysombath holds a PhD of Management Science from the National University of Laos and a master’s in Economics at The Australian National University.

Ms. Amina J. Mohammed is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group. She previously served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she steered efforts on climate action and to protect the natural environment. Ms. Mohammed led the process that resulted in global agreement around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and creation of the SDGs. She has been conferred several honorary doctorates and has served as an adjunct professor, lecturing on international development.

Canadian model and actress Sabrina Dhowre Elba was appointed UN Goodwill Ambassador for IFAD in April 2020. Elba, who is of Somali descent, works with a variety of civil society organizations, including Conservation International, on environmental issues. She is passionate about gender equality and promoting the empowerment of women and girls worldwide.