31 Facts About Rajiv Shah

Rajiv J "Raj" Shah was born on March 9,1973 and is an American physician, economist and executive.

Rajiv Shah is the president of the Rockefeller Foundation and a former government official and health economist who served as the sixteenth administrator of the United States Agency for International Development from 2010 to 2015.

Rajiv Shah was born to Indian Gujarati immigrant parents who settled in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the late 1960s.

Rajiv Shah grew up in the Detroit area and attended Wylie E Groves High School.

Rajiv Shah graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Economics.

Rajiv Shah went on to earn a Master of Science in Health Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine.

Rajiv Shah spent time at the London School of Economics where he earned a general course certificate in economics.

Rajiv Shah served as a member of Governor Ed Rendell's transition committee on health.

Rajiv Shah was responsible for developing the International Finance Facility for Immunization, which raised more than $5 billion for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization.

Rajiv Shah was nominated by President Obama to serve as Chief Scientist and Undersecretary of Agriculture for Research, Education and Economics on April 17,2009.

Rajiv Shah was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on May 12,2009.

Rajiv Shah was nominated to serve as the sixteenth administrator of USAID on November 10,2009 and confirmed by the United States Senate unanimously on Christmas Eve, December 24,2009.

Rajiv Shah was sworn into office by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on January 7,2010.

Rajiv Shah was tasked by President Obama to lead the United States response to the disaster, launching one of the largest humanitarian efforts in history.

Rajiv Shah promoted a new model of development based on engagement with the private sector.

Rajiv Shah earned bipartisan support for his efforts, which included increasing his Agency's budget growth during a time of sequestration.

Rajiv Shah led efforts to reform food security in an effort to fight against hunger around the world.

Rajiv Shah used the Camp David G8 Summit in 2012 to attract private investment commitments to the effort.

Rajiv Shah created a partnership co-led by Ethiopia, India and UNICEF, "A Promise Renewed", to have more than one hundred partner countries restructure health priorities and invest in measurement to deliver better outcomes.

Rajiv Shah continued building on his new model of development in 2014 when he announced the establishment of the United States Global Development Lab.

Rajiv Shah founded and serves as Managing Partner for Latitude Capital, a global emerging markets power and infrastructure private equity firm.

In 2015, Rajiv Shah was one of six global leaders appointed by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to review the world's capacity to prepare for and respond to global pandemic threats.

On January 5,2017, the board of trustees announced the unanimous selection of Rajiv Shah to serve as the thirteenth president of the Rockefeller Foundation.

Rajiv Shah assumed office on March 1,2017, succeeding Dr Judith Rodin, who had served as president for nearly twelve years.

Rajiv Shah is the first-ever Indian-American to serve as president of the foundation.

Rajiv Shah authored the book Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Occurs, which was released by Simon Element on October 10,2023.

Rajiv Shah has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award ; the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, the highest official honor for non-resident Indian, awarded by the President of India ; the US Global Leadership Council Tribute Award ; and the Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award for Child Nutrition.

Rajiv Shah has been awarded numerous honorary degrees including American University, Doctor of International Affairs, Tuskegee University, Doctor of Science, and Colby College, Doctor of Laws.

Rajiv Shah currently sits on numerous boards including Trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation, International Rescue Committee, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Results for America, Trilateral Commission, the Atlantic Council and The National Geographic Society.

Rajiv Shah is a member on the Council of Foreign Relations On January 4,2017 he was elected President of the Rockefeller Foundation, the first Indian-American to hold that post.

Rajiv Shah is a member of the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee.