Appointment of IDRC’s president

The Chairperson of the International Development Research Centre’s Board of Governors, Dr. Dorothy Nyambi, is pleased to announce on behalf of the Board of Governors the appointment of Julie Delahanty as the president and chief executive officer of IDRC. Her appointment was confirmed by the Governor in Council earlier this week.

Julie Delahanty is a leader in gender equality and human rights with close to 30 years of international development experience. She was the Executive Director of Oxfam Canada from 2013-2019 and has since brought her expertise to diverse organizations in the sector including Oxfam International, the United Nations and most recently as the interim Executive Director of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights.

“I am pleased to welcome Julie Delahanty as the new president of the International Development Research Centre,” said the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Canada’s Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada. “As a leader in gender equality and human rights with almost 30 years of international development experience, Julie brings a wealth of knowledge that will no doubt be invaluable to advancing IDRC’s research and innovation which bridges local expertise to global development action for a more sustainable world.”

“On behalf of IDRC’s Board of Governors, I want to congratulate Julie Delahanty as she begins her mandate as President and CEO at IDRC,” said Dr. Nyambi. “Julie's leadership and commitment to international development research in Canada and abroad, position her and the Centre to continue to deliver its mission to promote and support relevant high-quality Southern-led research, innovation, and sustainable scalable solutions. IDRC will continue to leverage the power of evidence-based knowledge to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Welcome Julie!”

Among other responsibilities, IDRC’s president and CEO supervises the work and staff of the Centre and ensures that it is at the forefront of research and development. The president is also a member of the Board of Governors, which provides strategic direction, stewardship and oversight for IDRC.

Biographical notes

In addition to her work with Oxfam and Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, Julie has held numerous posts supporting the Government of Canada’s development and human rights efforts, including most notably as the director of the Central America Program, deputy director for Human Rights, senior advisor to the Iraq Task Force, and as the director for gender equality and child protection.

Julie has also held senior positions with the North South Institute and the ETC Group and has written extensively on issues of gender and employment; women’s rights; sexual and reproductive health and rights; and globalization.

She has lived and worked in many countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh, and has significant experience working in Central America, Africa and the Middle East.