Ashvin Dayal
Ashvin Dayal is chief operating officer of The Rockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation headquartered in New York City. It was chartered by New York State legislation in 1913 with funding from Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller, with the mission “to promote the well-being of mankind throughout the world.” In its early years it funded global public health, medical education, and yellow fever vaccine research; in the mid-20th century it supported agricultural programs that came to be known as the “Green Revolution”; and in recent years it has focused its work on energy, health, food, and climate.Open the full entry, an American philanthropy; when the foundation announced the appointment in May 2026, it also named him president of its public charity, RF Catalytic Capital. He joined the foundation in 2008 and has served as managing director for Asia and senior vice president for its power program, and was one of the principal architects of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP); before that, he worked at the international development organization Oxfam for more than 15 years.
Contents8 sections
Key facts
Early Life: Education
Dayal earned a bachelor’s degree in economic geography from SOAS University of London and later a master’s degree in economics and international development from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).[1]
Early Years: Working at Oxfam
Before joining the Rockefeller Foundation, Dayal worked at the international development organization Oxfam for more than 15 years, holding senior positions in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, and leading the strategy and operations of a team of more than 1,000 people across several Asian countries, including teams working in high-risk and conflict areas.[1][1]
2004Leading Oxfam’s Tsunami Relief and Reconstruction
After the 2004 Asian tsunami, Dayal led the largest relief and reconstruction operation in Oxfam’s history.[1]
2008Managing Director for Asia at the Rockefeller Foundation
In 2008, Dayal joined the Rockefeller Foundation as managing director for Asia, heading its regional office in Bangkok and leading the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN), a nine-year collaborative program that helped more than 50 cities in Asia strengthen their ability to cope with climate impacts.[1][1]
2021Launch of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet
Dayal later became senior vice president for the power program, working to expand access to clean energy in the United States and around the world. He was one of the principal architects of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), responsible for making the case for it, helping to assemble its founding partners and overseeing the foundation’s investment in the alliance, the largest single investment in the foundation’s history. The alliance launched in 2021 and has since grown into a public-private partnership of more than 50 governments, investors, development banks and philanthropies; according to the foundation as of May 2026, the projects it supports are on track to connect more than 90 million people in more than 30 countries to electricity.[2][1][1][1][1]
As senior vice president for power, he also advanced Smart Power India, a platform providing renewable electricity to remote communities; the foundation’s support for Mission 300, an initiative of the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group that aims to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030; and innovative financing models such as Power ReMade.[1][1][1]
May 14, 2026Appointed Chief Operating Officer
On May 14, 2026, the Rockefeller Foundation announced Dayal’s appointment as chief operating officer, succeeding Natalye Paquin, who was to retire on August 1 that year. In the new role, he oversees the foundation’s Connected Leaders Program, the Bellagio Center, foundation services, human resources, information technology, finance and legal teams, as well as its staff and offices in the United States, Africa, Asia, Colombia and Italy, and also serves as president of the foundation’s public charity, RF Catalytic Capital. Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv ShahRajiv ShahRajiv Shah is an American development policy official and philanthropic leader who served as Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2010 to 2015 and has been the 13th president of The Rockefeller Foundation since 2017.Open the full entry said Dayal had repeatedly demonstrated an ability to build for the long term during his 17 years at the foundation.[1][1][1][1][3][1]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
The Rockefeller Foundation: Official website: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/ (opens in a new window).[4]
X: Public account: https://x.com/toeydayal (opens in a new window)[2]