Santiago Alba-Corral appointed as IDRC vice-president of Programs and Partnerships

“Mr. Alba-Corral has a strong and well-deserved reputation for innovative thinking, exceptional leadership and a deep understanding of the international development and research landscape,” said IDRC President Julie Delahanty. “His passion for our work aligns perfectly with IDRC's values and objectives, and I am confident in his abilities to lead our programming into the next decade.”

“While remarkable progress has been achieved in advancing development goals in recent decades, much more needs to be done to tackle the increasingly complex challenges facing our world, including the impacts of climate change, persistent inequalities and the erosion of civic space,” said Alba-Corral. “I am excited to take on this new role at IDRC and to advance our programming and partnerships to help address global challenges through the power of research.” 

Prior to this appointment, Alba-Corral was the director of IDRC’s Climate-Resilient Food Systems program, overseeing research to build equitable, inclusive, healthy and sustainable food systems in the Global South. 

He holds an Executive Diploma in Strategy and Innovation from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, a master's degree in international agriculture and rural development from Cornell University in the United States and a bachelor of science degree in agriculture engineering from the University of La Rioja in Spain.  

Alba-Corral joined IDRC in 2017 as associate director of Food Security. He previously held key leadership positions at CARE Canada and Action contre la Faim. 

In his work across the Global South, Alba-Corral has been a consistent advocate for gender equality and sustainability, with a track record of building impactful partnerships and diversifying portfolios.