We are an independent think tank with more than 200 staff, including researchers, communicators, and specialist support staff. View staff by programmes on the right-hand side. Our senior management team is listed below, followed by a list of our Heads of Programmes.
Kevin Watkins joined ODI as Executive Director in June 2013. He is a former nonresident senior fellow with the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, and was previously director and lead author of UNESCO’s Education for All Global Monitoring Report. His research focuses on education, globalization and human development.
Andrew Norton is ODI’s Director of Research. A social anthropologist by training, Andrew carried out his doctoral fieldwork in a farming community in Mali, and has since worked extensively on issues of poverty, vulnerability, social protection, citizen participation, political economy analysis, aid effectiveness, natural resource management and social policy.
Anna is Head of the Agricultural Development and Policy Programme (formerly PLAG). She joined ODI in July 2011 after having worked for 19 years in development, 12 of which were based in Mozambique.
Edward Hedger is Head of the Centre for Aid and Public Expenditure at the Overseas Development Institute in London. He specialises in budgeting and public expenditure management reform issues in developing countries and fragile states.
Tom Mitchell is ODI’s Head of Climate Change. A geographer by training, Tom carried out his doctoral fieldwork on disaster risk management in the Caribbean and has since worked extensively on issues related to the governance and poverty-dimensions of disaster risk and adaptation to climate change. Tom has served as a co-ordinating lead author of the IPCC and is currently a lead author on the IPCC 5th Assessment Report.
Claire Melamed is the Head of the Growth, Poverty and Inequality Programme at ODI.
Dr Dirk Willem te Velde is the programme leader of the Investment and Growth Programme. His interests include economic growth, foreign direct investment effects and policies; trade in services; the WTO, regional integration and impact assessments; public goods; Africa and the Caribbean.
Marta leads the Politics and Governance programme. Her interests include the political economy of development as well as conflict and fragility. She has an interest in applied social research methodologies and policy evaluation
Karen Ellis is a professional economist with 16 years experience in economic research and consultancy and in Government.
Caroline Harper has a PhD in Social Anthropology and is currently associate director of the Chronic Poverty Research Centre and programme leader, social development, gender and generations.
