Joachim von Braun, a citizen of Germany, joined IFPRI as its director general in September 2002. Prior to that, he was director of the Center for Development Research, which he co-founded in 1997, at the University of Bonn, Germany. Von Braun headed the Department of Economics and Technical Change and was a professor at the Institute for Agricultural Policy. His previous association with IFPRI includes seven years as a research fellow and three years as director of the Food Consumption and Nutrition Division. Von Braun has worked in developing countries for many years and is known for his work on food security and mitigating and preventing famines. He holds a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of Göttingen in Germany.

Kevin Watkins joined UNDP in 2005. Previously, he served 13 years with Oxfam UK, most recently as Head of Research. During his tenure, he helped to make Oxfam an influential voice on issues such as trade, globalization, and human poverty, shaping public discourse through its various publications. Watkins also managed the team behind Oxfam's highly successful campaign on education and trade advocacy. His design and development work at Oxfam has included programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He is a board member of the Center for Global Development, United Nations Children's Fund's Innocenti Center, and the Journal of International Development. He holds a Ph.D. from Oxford University, with a concentration in modern Indian history and economics.