Ankur Vora (Indian-American Economist) Biography

Quick Info

Profession	Economist
Nationality	Indian-American
Birthplace	India

Latest News about Ankur Vora

19/02/2026

Ankur Vora was selected to represent the Gates Foundation at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 after Bill Gates withdrew from the keynote appearance. The Foundation said Vora would speak at the summit in his capacity as President of the Africa and India Offices, reflecting his expanded leadership role.

01/01/2026

Ankur Vora became President of the Gates Foundation’s Africa and India Offices in January 2026 while continuing to serve as Chief Strategy Officer. In this role, he oversees the foundation’s work across six offices in Africa and India and helps guide enterprise-wide strategy and long-term priorities.

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Bio/Wiki

Profession(s)	Economist Strategist

Physical Stats & More

Height	5' 9" (175 cm)
Eye Color	Black
Hair Color	Grey

Educational Qualification(s)

College/University	Birla Institute of Technology And Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India (BITS Pilani) The University of Chicago, United States
Degrees	Bachelors of Engineering in Computer Science from BITS Pilani Masters of Science in Economics from BITS Pilani PhD in Economics from The University of Chicago

Personal Life

Ethnicity	Gujarati
Marital Status	Married

Relationships & More

Marital Status	Married

Family

Father	Physician
Mother	Community Engagement Leader
Children	2 Sons (including Ishaan), 1 Daughter

Career

Professional Affiliations	Gates Foundation (2013 – Present) Innovations for Poverty Action (2017 – 2023) Global Health Labs (2020 – Present) Gates Medical Research Institute (2025 – Present)
Career Highlights	Joined the University of Chicago as a lecturer in 1998, teaching economics until 2003. Worked briefly at Goldman Sachs in 2001. Served as principal of the Boston Consulting Group from 2003 to 2009. Directed program initiatives at The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation from 2009 to 2013. Became Deputy Director of Strategy at the Gates Foundation in 2013 and was later promoted to Director of Strategy, Innovation, & Impact in 2015. Joined the Board of Innovations for Poverty Action in 2017 and supported evidence-based poverty reduction. Promoted to Chief Strategy Officer at Gates Foundation in June 2020, advising on strategic priorities. Became a board member of Global Health Labs in July 2020, focusing on health technologies. Promoted to President of Africa & India Offices at the Gates Foundation in January 2026. Became President of Africa & India Offices at the Gates Foundation in January 2026.

Professional Affiliations

Gates Foundation (2013 – Present)
Innovations for Poverty Action (2017 – 2023)
Global Health Labs (2020 – Present)
Gates Medical Research Institute (2025 – Present)

Career Highlights

Joined the University of Chicago as a lecturer in 1998, teaching economics until 2003.
Worked briefly at Goldman Sachs in 2001.
Served as principal of the Boston Consulting Group from 2003 to 2009.
Directed program initiatives at The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation from 2009 to 2013.
Became Deputy Director of Strategy at the Gates Foundation in 2013 and was later promoted to Director of Strategy, Innovation, & Impact in 2015.
Joined the Board of Innovations for Poverty Action in 2017 and supported evidence-based poverty reduction.
Promoted to Chief Strategy Officer at Gates Foundation in June 2020, advising on strategic priorities.
Became a board member of Global Health Labs in July 2020, focusing on health technologies.
Promoted to President of Africa & India Offices at the Gates Foundation in January 2026.
Became President of Africa & India Offices at the Gates Foundation in January 2026.

Favourites

Food	Khichdi Thepla
Singer(s)	Bhimsen Joshi Taylor Swift
Rock Band	The Beatles

Social Media

Twitter	https://x.com/ankurvora1
LinkedIn	https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankurvora1/

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Ankur grew up in Gujarat, India, before his parents moved to New York in the 1970s and later returned to India to establish a health NGO.
2. He began lecturing at the University of Chicago in 1998, where he taught various economics courses until 2003.
3. His experience includes a brief stint at Goldman Sachs in 2001 and a principal role at the Boston Consulting Group from 2003 to 2009.
4. At The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, he directed program initiatives until 2013 before moving to the Gates Foundation where he rose through various strategic roles.

Ankur Vora Economist Indian-American India