Bioversity International announces incoming Director General
[News]
Source: Bioversity International
Bioversity International announces the appointment of Ms M. Ann Tutwiler as incoming Director General.
Tutwiler, currently the Special Representative of the Director-General to the UN/Geneva and World Economic Forum of the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, brings extensive leadership and agricultural development expertise to Bioversity International. She joins Bioversity as Director General on 15 July.
“Ms Tutwiler is an outstanding candidate to take over the leadership of Bioversity International at a very exciting time for the organization,” says Dr. Paul Zuckerman, Chair of the Bioversity Board of Trustees. “For nearly 40 years, Bioversity has played a key role in agriculture and conservation. The organization is working on innovative solutions to some of the most vital world issues – malnutrition, climate change, poverty – by connecting research with smallholder farmer and forest communities. Ms Tutwiler will help expand our partnerships and networks and continue to push for innovation in research. She is a leader in the field and I am certain her knowledge of the issues Bioversity is addressing will serve us well.”
Tutwiler succeeds Dr Emile Frison, who has led Bioversity International for two full terms since August 2003. “Under Dr Frison’s leadership, Bioversity has developed a clear set of strategic priorities and a research agenda that the organization will continue to carry forward. He successfully guided the organization through a significant reform process to reinforce its position as a leading research institution. I sincerely thank Dr Frison for his many contributions, and I congratulate Ms Tutwiler on her appointment,” continues Zuckerman.
Tutwiler has almost 30 years of experience in agricultural policy and development working in the public and private sectors. She served as Deputy Director-General, Knowledge, at FAO from January 2011 through November 2012, where she coordinated development of cohesive Rome food agency positions on Rio+20 for FAO with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP) and Bioversity International.
As a member of senior management at FAO, she managed five technical departments including Agriculture & Consumer Protection, Natural Resources Management & Environment, Forestry, Fisheries & Aquaculture, Economic & Social Development and Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research & Extension. From June 2009 to January 2011, she worked in the Office of the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, leading and coordinating USDA’s participation in the President’s Feed the Future initiative among other responsibilities. Previously, she served as Senior Advisor of International Affairs for the U.S. Agency for International Development, where she recommended reforms to USAID programs in relation to international development in Africa. She was managing director of agricultural markets at The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation from 2006 to 2009. She holds degrees in Agribusiness from Purdue University and Harvard Business School, a master’s degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College, where she received the John W. Kuykendall Award for Community Service in 2005.
As the Director General, Tutwiler will be responsible for leading Bioversity International, forging effective research partnerships and overseeing the organization’s strategic priorities and research agenda. “I’m excited to lead Bioversity International into the future,” said Tutwiler. “The new strategic priorities and ambitious research agenda provide an excellent foundation to improve nutrition, livelihoods and sustainability and enabling productive and healthy ecosystems. I look forward to helping Bioversity deliver critical research for development outcomes, in close partnership with investors, researchers, governments, the private sector, smallholder farmers and forest communities.”
Bioversity International is a research-for-development organization working with partners worldwide to use and conserve agricultural and forest biodiversity for improved livelihoods, nutrition, sustainability and productive and resilient ecosystems. Bioversity International is working towards a world in which smallholder farming communities in developing countries of Africa, Asia and the Americas are thriving and sustainable.
Bioversity International is a member of the CGIAR Consortium, a global partnership that unites organizations engaged in research for a food secure future. CGIAR research is dedicated to reducing rural poverty, increasing food security, improving human health and nutrition, and ensuring more sustainable management of natural resources. It is carried out by the 15 centres who are members of the CGIAR Consortium in close collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations, including national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, and the private sector.
Posted on 25/02/2013
