Ricardo steps in to cover Francesca Bastagli, who is currently taking parental leave for a year.

“I’m delighted to have joined ODI. There are very few think tanks in the world with ODI´s mix of analytical rigour and capacity to influence international and global affairs debates. I hope I can contribute to ODI´s thinking, especially in a time when people around the world are demanding more from their governments in terms of dignity and redistribution. We have known for many years the damaging pain that inequality imposes on individuals and societies but we haven´t yet figured out the practical steps to change that reality. ODI’s Equity and Social Policy programme is ambitious to play a bigger role in these conversations.”

Ricardo Fuentes-Nieva is a globally-respected economist, author and leader with more than 20 years’ experience in public policy research, advocacy, and executive leadership roles. He is formerly a member of the Executive Board of Oxfam International, Executive Director of Oxfam Mexico and Head of Research at Oxfam Great Britain. Prior to this, at UNDP and the World Bank he led and authored high profile research including UNDP’s well-known Human Development Report.

Welcoming Ricardo to ODI, Chief Executive Sara Pantuliano said:

“Ricardo’s progressive thinking on inequality is a perfect match for ODI and our well-regarded ESP Programme. He combines methodological rigour and strong research skills with a good nose for evidence-based influencing and a very lucid and accessible communications style. We are delighted he is joining us.”

Whilst with Oxfam, Ricardo led the financial and public transformation of Oxfam Mexico, positioning it as the main actor in the fight against inequalities in the country. At Oxfam Great Britain, he led the analysis and intellectual framework for the global "Even It Up" campaign, focusing on extreme inequality and drawing huge publicity at successive World Economic Forum at Davos events. His Oxfam papers on inequality have been widely cited by world leaders, including Barack Obama, Christine Lagarde and Bernie Sanders. His work has appeared in the Financial Times, The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, El País and The Guardian, among others.

Since January 2022, Ricardo has also been engaged as Chief Economist at the Data-Pop Alliance, a global organisation focused on the study of development through data. He will retain this and other high-profile and independent associations whilst he is with ODI.

ENDS