We are delighted to announce the appointment of Sahba Sobhani (USA) as the Director of the Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development in the Bureau for Policy and Program Support/Global Policy Network.

Sahba brings 19 years of experience in the private sector in Silicon Valley, Singapore and at UNDP as Programme Advisor, Team Leader and Programme Manager including as the technical lead for the recently endorsed UNDP private sector strategy. He has  significant partnership development and advocacy experience with the private sector working with over 100 companies and business organizations  and a track record of  operational leadership, innovation and management of 6 global UNDP-led strategic multi-stakeholder partnerships and initiatives in the area of business and development  (the African Financial Markets Initiative, the  Commission on the Private Sector and Development, the Growing Inclusive Market Initiative, the Istanbul International Center on the Private Sector in Development and the Business Call to Action Alliance and the Connecting Business Initiative). He has also  been the principal author and content manager of 6  major UNDP-led reports in the area of private sector in development including the 2003 African Stock Exchanges Handbook, 2004 Report of the Commission on the Private Sector and Development: Unleashing Entrepreneurship: Making Business for the Poor, 2008 Global Growing Inclusive Markets Report: Creating Value for All: Strategies for Doing Business with the Poor, 2010 Growing Inclusive Markets Initiative, MDG Report, 2017 Unchartered Waters: Blending Value and Values for Social Impact Through The SDGs.

He is a graduate of Yale University and the Fletcher School of Diplomacy (USA).