James Fields is the Director of Finance and Administration at IFPRI. In this capacity, he oversees the IFPRI’s annual budget of $150+ million and leads finance and administration across the Institute, which includes the Finance, Computer Services, Travel, and Facilities departments. He has participated in a number of CGIAR meetings and working groups in relation to the current funding and operational changes within CGIAR.

Prior to his current appointment, James served as IFPRI’s Controller for 13 years, during which time he played an instrumental role in successfully launching key financial and administrative initiatives. James also has extensive accounting and management experience, with over 18 years working for a variety of companies in the private sector, including several years with one of the big four accounting firms. James is a Certified Public Accountant and earned his BS in Accounting from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.