Jyotsna Puri (or Jo) is the Associate Vice-President - Strategy and Knowledge Department (SKD) at IFAD. She leads the organizations strategy work in IFAD’s key areas targeting agriculture, climate, gender, nutrition, youth and social inclusion. Puri provides the vision for evidence-informed advice on program designs and implementation, contributing to resource mobilization, and supporting IFAD’s global remit in providing state-of the art policy advice related to these topics.

Puri has worked previously at the Green Climate Fund, 3ie, UNEP, the World Bank and UNDP. She is also adjunct associate professor at Columbia University, New York where she was also a research scientist. She has published in many academic journals and written for newspapers and provided advice as a board member to several development organizations. In 2019, Puri was selected one of 16 women who have shown leadership in restoring the earth through their efforts, by the Global Landscape Forum.

She holds a PhD and MSc in Agriculture and Resource Economics and an MA in Development Economics.