Sarah Timpson

SARAH (SALLY) TIMPSON is a consultant with many years of executive experience in the United Nations, including in senior policy-making positions at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) headquarters, initiating and managing two multi-country programs, serving in Argentina and as resident coordinator of UN system activities in Costa Rica and the Philippines. In the latter post, she led the expansion of UNDP support to environment conservation, including to WWF-Philippines in work leading to the establishment of the Coral Triangle initiative. Timpson established an NGO division in UNDP that promoted collaboration with and strengthening of national civil society organizations in developing countries. She led a team that set up the UNDP Global Environmental Finance (GEF) Small Grants Program (SGP) that supports local community and civil society initiatives addressing global environmental challenges from the bottom up. The SGP, which she managed for two years, works through national technical advisory committees, and now operates in 125 countries worldwide. Previously, Timpson headed the UNDP Promotion of the Role of Women in Water and Environmental Sanitation Services (PROWWESS) program, with activities in 16 countries. She was active in establishing the multipartner environmental Equator Initiative, based in UNDP, and serves on the advisory committee for its Equator Prize. Since retiring from UNDP, Timpson has engaged in consultancies for various organizations, including the MacArthur Foundation, Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, Conservation International, Pathfinder/USAID, Barefoot College, UN Women, and several UNDP units, including UNDP/GEF. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Asia Society, she supports a number of environmental organizations. Timpson currently serves on the boards of directors of the Synergos Institute, Water Aid America, and PCI Media, and on Network 2020’s Committee of Twenty. She served on the board of Rare. Timpson holds degrees from Smith College and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.