Jo Puri

Jo Puri, Ph.D., currently serves as the Director of the Policy and Programme Division at the UN Environment Programme, focusing on strategic direction and multilateral climate fund coordination. Puri holds positions as a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and as a Member of the Academic Advisory Council at the Indian School of Public Policy. Puri is also an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and previously worked as a Senior Researcher there. Notable roles include Special Adviser on Strategic Initiatives at the International Fund for Agricultural Development, where Puri oversaw environmental, climate, and social strategies, and Co-Chair of the International Land Coalition, advocating for secure land rights. Puri's academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Agriculture and Resource Economics from the University of Maryland and an MA in Development Economics from the Delhi School of Economics. Leadership training was received at Harvard Business School.