Liz Ogutu

Liz Ogutu leads the Eastern and Southern Africa region for Climate Action at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. She is also a Policy Analyst with an interest in food systems and nutrition. Previously she was the Policy, Advocacy and Regional Coordinator for Africa at HarvestPlus – an IFPRI program. She has also held leadership positions at Africa Union’s Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA), led the establishment of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) offices in Nairobi and was the head of resource mobilization at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Her passion for nutrition and rural development was sparked while supporting private-sector partnerships at the UNICEF Kenya Country Office. Before this, she worked in the private sector.

Liz has spent over 18 years fundraising for rural development and agricultural research and has woven nutrition and policy analysis & design into her activities. She is adept at navigating complex policy environments and building strong partnerships with governments, non-profit organizations, and international institutions. She is a persuasive advocate for evidence-based decision-making and has played a crucial role in shaping continental and regional policies in areas such as food safety and nutrition. Liz's work has also focused on identifying innovative tools for translating policies into action. Her ability to navigate diverse cultural contexts and build strong relationships with stakeholders has been instrumental in her success in driving transformative change.

She holds a BSc Degree from the Open University (UK) and an MBA from the Heriot-Watt University (UK).