Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROOM TO READ WELCOMES ECONOMIST AND AUTHOR
DAMBISA MOYO TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
San Francisco, CA – March 4, 2009 – Room to Read is thrilled to
welcome Dambisa Moyo, economist and author of the book Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working
and How There is Better Way for Africa, to its Board of Directors.
Born and educated in Zambia, Dambisa Moyo brings a rare combination of academic expertise and
real world experience to her work within world economic affairs. Her training took her from
the World Bank to Harvard University and on to Oxford University, where she obtained her
doctorate in economics. She then spent eight years at Goldman Sachs working with global
macroeconomics teams, debt capital markets, and hedge fund coverage.
"In Dambisa, we have found someone with a keen understanding of the challenges facing the
developing world, particularly Africa, and who isn't afraid to develop innovative solutions to
global poverty," said John Wood, Room to Read Founder and Executive Chairman. "As
our newest board member, Dambisa's expertise and guidance will be of great value to Room to
Read as we continue to grow our work in South Africa and Zambia, and plan expansion into
additional African countries."
In her book Dead Aid, Moyo describes the current state of postwar development policy
in Africa and offers a bold road map for financing economic growth in the world's poorest
countries without reliance on strategies and policies that have not worked well in the past,
and which have kept too many people from breaking the cycle of poverty.
"Room to Read is a fresh face in international development whose model focuses on
educating the next generation by investing in the local community," said Moyo.
"Whether it's through implementing a challenge grant model that enlists the community to
co-invest through cash, materials or labor, or through their policy of empowering communities
by hiring local nationals in the countries where they work, Room to Read is helping to educate
children in my home country and elsewhere."
Moyo is a member of the Council for the Serpentine Gallery in London. She is also a Patron for
Absolute Return for Kids (ARK), a hedge fund supported children's charity, and serves on the
Board of the Lundin for Africa Foundation.
Moyo received her bachelor's degree in chemistry and an MBA in finance from American
University in Washington D.C. Moyo also holds a master's degree in public administration from
Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and completed a Ph.D. in economics at Oxford
University.
Room to Read's Board of Directors also includes Hilary Valentine (Chair), Herb Allen,
Christopher Beer, Craig Bruya, Scott Kapnick, Alastair Mactaggart, John Ridding, Muneer A.
Satter and John Wood.
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Contact:
Sonia Torres, Sr. PR Associate
Room to Read
sonia.torres@roomtoread.org