Open Government Partnership CEO and leadership

Sanjay Pradhan joined the Open Government Partnership in May 2016 as Chief Executive Officer. Sanjay supports the countries, local governments and thousands of civil society organizations working to make governments more open, participatory and less corrupt. He leads OGP’s policy dialogue with Heads of States, senior ministers and civil society organizations across the partnership, and serves as OGP’s global spokesperson.

Sanjay previously served in three senior positions at the World Bank: as the Vice President for Leadership, Learning and Innovation, the Vice President of the World Bank Institute, and the Director for Governance. While at the World Bank, Mr. Pradhan tirelessly promoted open development. He led the WBG’s Governance and Anticorruption Strategy, launched the Global Partnership for Social Accountability, incubated ICT-mediated citizen feedback to improve governance, initiated Open Contracting with Partners, and rolled out a flagship Collaborative Leadership for Development program to help government and civil society leaders undertake collaborative actions. During his tenure at the World Bank, Sanjay gained extensive experience working in Africa, South Asia, Europe and Central Asia.

Mr. Pradhan is a global spokesperson and distinguished speaker on open governance and anticorruption issues, appearing in major world forums including the European Parliament, the BBC World Debate and the TED Global Conference (link is external). He has published widely, and was a principal author of the 1997 World Development Report, The State in a Changing World (link is external). He holds a PhD (in Economics & Business) and a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.

Kate Lasso is a Chief Finance and Operations Officer at Open Government Partnership and is based in Washington, D.C.. She has worked as Chief Operating Officer at Free the Slaves, Director of Institutional Development at Center for Justice and International Law - CEJIL, and Operations Director at SOCIAL & SCIENTIFIC SYSTEMS. Kate studied at American University between 2000 and 2008, Miami University between 1976 and 1979, and American University between 1981 and 1984.

For the past three years, I served as a Presidential Appointee at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the lead U.S. government organization for global development and humanitarian assistance. At USAID, I used my extensive private sector experience to tell the story of the Agency, its 12,000 employees and its million of beneficiaries around the globe.

By leveraging the strength of a diverse team spanning 80 countries, I revitalized the communications structure of the Agency through an extensive reorganization, the launch of a new mission, and by introducing powerful storytelling techniques to humanize some of the today’s most complex issues including the end to extreme poverty.

I am known for my creative approach, belief in the power of communications to further change and inclusive leadership. Also, known for keeping focused even in the most challenging circumstance such as the Syrian Refugee Crises and Ebola.

I am a fierce champion of my team and the work of USAID and its partners to make the world a bit more safe, fair and open.