News
23 February 2021

DI appoints Sue Wardell CBE as Board Chair

Development Initiatives is pleased to announce the appointment of Sue Wardell CBE as Chair of our Board of Directors.

DI is pleased to announce the appointment of Sue Wardell CBE as Chair of our Board of Directors.

Sue Wardell CBE will join Development Initiatives’ (DI) Board from 1 March 2021. She will bring her extensive professional experience to the role, having served previously as Vice President of the African Development Bank, in multiple Director-level roles in the UK Department for International Development and as Save the Children’s Regional Director for West and Southern Africa.

As DI’s new Board Chair, Sue will play an important role in supporting the Executive Director and Board of Non-Executive Directors to drive the organisation forward and deliver our strategic objectives.

Sue said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has made delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals much harder. Never has clear, accessible, accurate data been so critically important to ensure global and local leaders are held accountable for the impact of their decisions on the poorest and most vulnerable.

“I am honoured to have been invited to join the DI team as they implement their new 10-year strategy to bring analysis-ready data and implementation-ready analysis to the world so no one is left behind. I look forward to working with them to help realise this inspirational ambition.”

DI’s Executive Director Harpinder Collacott said: “I am delighted to have Sue join DI as our first independent Chair. She joins us at a very exciting time as we launch our new strategy which sets DI’s direction for the next ten years. I am looking forward to working with Sue to take DI forward as a partner organisation working in key regions across the world to provide data-driven evidence and analysis, training and support around data systems and data quality to ensure our stakeholders are well equipped take action to end poverty, reduce inequality and increase resilience.”

Sue’s skills, experience and perspective will complement the considerable acumen of DI’s existing board, which serves to provide advice, support and strategic direction to the organisation. She joins board members Tina Blazquez-Lopez , Diane Kingston OBE , Paul Stuart , Timothy Takona , Libby Drew and Professor Alex Ezeh , whose appointments were announced in 2019 .

For more information, contact DI’s Communications Officer James Harle by email at james.harle@devinit.org .