We are pleased to announce that Julian Schweitzer will join the Results for Development Institute (R4D) in September as a Principal. Julian’s work at R4D will include initiatives relating to: promoting progress toward universal health coverage; reducing maternal mortality; using innovative technologies for achieving good health at low cost; improving the international health aid architecture; understanding trends and issues in health spending; and strengthening leadership and capacity building.

Julian comes to R4D after a distinguished career in international development, spanning policy and operational work in many parts of the world including Asia, Latin America, Russia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. He has held a variety of leadership positions at the World Bank including Director for Human Development in the South Asia Region, Director of the Bank’s Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP) department, and most recently, Acting Vice President of the Human Development Network. Over the course of his career at the World Bank and with UK development agencies, he has lived ten years in Asia and Russia. He has worked in over 20 low and middle income countries, ranging from the largest and most successful to the smallest and poorest.

He holds a PhD in natural sciences from the University of London and began his career as an industrial research scientist. However he quickly became interested in development and in particular in the contribution of human development to a country’s economic development. He has worked extensively on both health and education. As the Director of the World Bank HNP Department, Julian focused on building up global efforts to improve health systems and to increase the focus on the neglected health MDGs.