Ben Leo

Ben Leo is the Global Policy Director at ONE, a grassroots campaign and advocacy organization backed by more than 2 million people who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Prior to joining ONE, Mr. Leo was a Research Fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD) and focused on African development issues such as debt, infrastructure, and innovative financing mechanisms. His work has been cited in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Guardian and Financial Times. In 2011, he worked for the African Union as a facilitator and technical expert in the secession negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan. Prior to CGD, Mr. Leo worked on the National Security Council as the Director for African Affairs, advising on Central, Eastern, and Southern African nations and regional economic issues. Additionally, he helped design and implement development initiatives at the U.S. Treasury, such as the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative and U.S.-Africa Financial Sector Initiative. From 2008 to 2010, Mr. Leo spearheaded business development efforts in Africa and the Middle East for Cisco Systems.