Washington, D.C., January 15, 2019 --- Jo Bourne, a widely respected leader in the global education community, has been appointed Chief Technical Officer at the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
Ms. Bourne brings to GPE a rich and diverse experience in education and international development having held senior positions shaping education policy and programs in the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) and UNICEF. She was instrumental in establishing Education Cannot Wait, the fund for education in humanitarian emergencies.
“I am delighted that Jo Bourne is joining the GPE Secretariat,” said Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer, Global Partnership for Education. “She is widely respected in the global education community for her technical expertise and knowledge that is informed by extensive experience in influential education leadership roles in bilateral and multilateral development agencies, combined with many years living in developing countries working with education ministries.”
As Chief Technical Officer, Ms. Bourne will lead a team of education specialists at the GPE Secretariat and draw on expertise across the broader partnership to drive quality policy, strategy and program development as well as rigorous monitoring and evaluation of GPE-supported programs. She will also join the Secretariat Management Team.
Ms. Bourne has been an active Board member of the Global Partnership for Education and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Institute for Educational Planning.
Initially trained as a primary school teacher, Ms. Bourne worked in a Chinese teacher training college as a volunteer with Voluntary Service Overseas and has taught primary age children in the United Kingdom and China.
After completing an MA in Education and International Development, she joined DFID and took on overseas postings in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Uganda (with the European Commission) and Rwanda. Much of her work in these countries concentrated on collaborating with national governments to develop, implement and monitor ambitious education strategies, while working simultaneously with key development partners to jointly finance education strategies and strengthen accountability for results.
Ms. Bourne also held several positions at DFID’s London Headquarters, playing a leading role in shaping the organization’s education policy and strengthening technical capacity.
Ms. Bourne became UNICEF’s Associate Director for Education in February 2013. She worked with UNICEF’s extensive global network to put equity and learning at the heart of UNICEF’s education agenda, with particular emphasis on early learning, girls’ education, education for children with disabilities, improving learning outcomes, education in emergencies and strengthening education systems.
Jo Bourne will take up the role of Chief Technical Officer at the Global Partnership for Education Secretariat on March 1, 2019.