Isobel Coleman is the Chief Executive Officer of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, which through its venture philanthropy model is accelerating the development of new therapeutics and diagnostics to treat, manage, and ultimately cure Alzheimer's disease. She has spent much of her career in mission-driven leadership roles across government, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations. A former diplomat, she served as the Deputy Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2021-2024. She was also U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management, Reform and Special Political Affairs from 2014-2017, and the Chief Operating Officer of GiveDirectly from 2018-2020. Earlier in her career she was a partner at McKinsey & Co., and a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

A through-line of her professional life has been a focus on achieving impact and promoting cost-effectiveness. During her time at USAID, she spearheaded the establishment of a new Office of the Chief Economist which focused on bringing cutting-edge research and best practices in cost-effectiveness to the development and humanitarian work of the agency. She also led efforts to harness artificial intelligence in the service of improved global development outcomes.

Isobel holds D.Phil. and M.Phil. degrees in International Relations from Oxford University which she attended on a Marshall Scholarship, and a B.A. from Princeton University. She is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Distinguished Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development.