John Riley United States

John Riley is a senior international-development executive and a recognised expert in climate resilience, food security and rural economic development, with more than three decades of experience designing, leading and advising high-value development programmes across Africa. He has led complex, multi-country initiatives funded by the European Union, USAID, DFID/FCDO and other major development partners, serving as Team Leader, Chief of Party, Country Director and Programme Director.

Holding a Master's in International Agricultural Development from the University of California, Davis, John has built a distinguished career at the intersection of climate adaptation, agricultural transformation, natural-resource management and institutional strengthening. His expertise spans climate-smart agriculture, watershed management, resilience programming, agricultural value-chain development, food systems and sustainable livelihoods, backed by an exceptional record of mainstreaming climate adaptation into national policies, sector programmes and local development planning.

Over his career, John has provided strategic leadership to multidisciplinary teams and managed complex programmes worth more than USD 50 million in some of Africa's most demanding operating environments, including Ethiopia, Mali, Uganda, Ghana, Cape Verde, Benin, Guinea and Chad. He is widely recognised for his ability to build trusted partnerships with governments, donor agencies, research institutions, the private sector and civil society, turning policy into practical, scalable solutions that strengthen resilience and improve living conditions.

His work has directly shaped climate-smart planning within Ethiopia's flagship Productive Safety Net Programme, supported national climate-adaptation frameworks in Mali, and contributed to market systems, cooperatives and food-security initiatives benefiting hundreds of thousands of rural households. Combining strategic vision with pragmatism in delivery, John is regarded as a trusted adviser and accomplished leader whose technical expertise, diplomatic skill and commitment to locally appropriate development have consistently produced lasting results at scale.