Brenda Killen
Head of Global Partnerships and Policy Division, OECD
Brenda Killen was appointed deputy director of the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate in June 2014. In this position, Brenda Killen leads work in key areas such as private sector development and the interface between environment and development; OECD’s support to the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation; and DCD participation in the G20 Development Working Group. Ms Killen has led the Development Co-operation Directorate’s (DCD) work on development effectiveness since 2007, including the preparation of the Fourth High Level Forum on Development Effectiveness in Busan (2011). She has also been instrumental in supporting the activities of the Global Partnership on Effective Development Co-operation, working with partners from around the world. Before taking up duties as Deputy Director, she was Head of DCD’s Global Partnerships and Policies Division and was previously Director of the Aid Effectiveness Division, leading DCD’s work on conflict and fragility, climate change and green growth, gender equality and other important policy areas. Among other functions, this division works to monitor implementation and drive international progress on development, through the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation in partnership with UNDP. Ms. Killen has a MSc in Economics from the London School and prior to her current position at OECD, she worked at the World Health Organization (WHO) as Deputy Director of Health Policy, Development and Services from 2004 to 2007. Prior to joining WHO, she worked for the Department for International Development (DFID) in the UK where she was Head of the Europe, Middle East and Americas Policy Department. An experienced development economist, she was previously DFID’s Senior Economic Adviser for Asia and, from 1996-1999, was an adviser to the UK Executive Director on the board of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).