Introducing IATI’s first Executive Director

IATI is pleased to introduce its first Executive Director. Yemesrach Assefa Workie assumed her new role on 1 June 2024, bringing a wealth of leadership experience through many years of working in the international development sector.

Yemesrach Assefa Workie, IATI Executive Director

Yemesrach joins IATI from her previous role as the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Fiji’s Multi-Country Office, covering 10 countries. Yemesrach has held multiple positions in UNDP including as Senior Policy Advisor in the Philippines as well as Economics Advisor in UNDP Uganda, Rwanda and The Gambia. Yemesrach's international career began in the Strategic and Policy Directorate at the African Development Bank.

She also benefits from diverse experience working at the Central Bank of Ethiopia, in academia, international research organisations and the humanitarian space.

Zoom Call for IATI Members / Community: Meet and greet new IATI Director! 18 July 1 - 2pm UTC

Yemesrach has arranged a Zoom call for Thursday 18 July 1 - 2pm UTC to meet IATI members and community. Please join the call to welcome the new Director into her role and share your views.

A Zoom call invitation link will be emailed to IATI members and IATI Newsletter recipients shortly (sign-up to receive IATI newsletter below).

Governing Board meeting, Vienna 4 - 5 June

The IATI Governing Board warmly welcomed the new Executive Director to its Quarterly Board meeting at UNOPS Offices in Vienna on 4 - 5 June. At their meeting, the group engaged in vibrant discussions on priorities for their two year term of 2024 - 26, with particular focus on improving the awareness and use of IATI data. They also discussed delivering a new strategic plan for the initiative post-2025, touching upon IATI's relevance in a fast-changing development landscape, leveraging partnerships and embracing technologies like AI for enhanced use, quality and security of data.

IATI Executive Director Yemesrach Assefa Workie said “I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to become IATI’s first Executive Director. Never before has enhancing the transparency of the world’s development and humanitarian resources been so important. Funds are under unprecedented strain from the triple planetary crisis (climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss), multiplicity of humanitarian crises and geopolitical change.

I'm deeply committed to adding value to our work and making IATI indispensable to all stakeholders across the development and humanitarian spaces.

“I believe IATI has a pivotal role in supporting countries to improve the effectiveness and coordination of resources. Our rich open data and globally acclaimed data standard can catalyse partnerships and enhance resource allocation.

I'm deeply committed to adding value to our work and making IATI indispensable to all stakeholders across the development and humanitarian spaces. I look forward to working with our members and community to move us closer to IATI’s vision of ensuring that transparent, good quality information on development and humanitarian resources helps us to achieve sustainable development outcomes.”