Rockefeller Foundation Announces Ashvin Dayal as Next COO

The Rockefeller Foundation announced on May 14 that Ashvin Dayal has been appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Dayal, who has been with the Foundation since 2008 and brings decades of experience in development institutions, programs, and operations, will succeed Natalye Paquin, who is set to retire on August 1, 2026, according to a statement released by the Foundation.

Paquin is credited with transforming the Foundation’s operations by modernizing its global offices, strengthening workforce capacity, and replacing more than two decades of legacy business systems. She also served as President of RF Catalytic Capital, the Foundation’s public charity arm.

“Natalye leaves behind a Foundation that is more capable, more connected, and more human than the one she joined — and all of us owe her an enormous debt of gratitude for that,” said Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. “And I can think of no one better to build on her legacy than Ashvin. During his 17 years at the Foundation, he has demonstrated again and again the ability to build for the long term — developing teams, forging partnerships, making big bets, and building operations that deliver real results. Now, he brings that same vision and operational discipline to ensuring The Rockefeller Foundation has the structures, systems, and talent to meet this moment.”

As COO, Dayal will oversee the Foundation’s Connected Leaders Program, Bellagio Center, Foundation Services, Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance, and Legal teams, along with its offices and workforce across the United States, Africa, Asia, Colombia, and Italy.

According to the statement, Dayal will also serve as President of RF Catalytic Capital, which aims to direct funding to communities and initiatives more efficiently while supporting innovative solutions to urgent global challenges.

“The Rockefeller Foundation has a unique ability to shape the solutions, build the institutions, and mobilize the resources needed to bring opportunity and change in an ever more dynamic world,” said Dayal. “I’ve seen firsthand what our Foundation can do when its operational engine is firing on all cylinders. I look forward to working with Raj and the entire Rockefeller Foundation team to strengthen the systems, deepen our partnerships, and build the organizational excellence that will allow us to keep delivering on our century-long promise to improve the well-being of people around the world.”

The statement noted that Dayal played a central role in developing the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, the Foundation’s largest single investment in its 113-year history. He helped build the initiative into a partnership involving more than 50 governments, investors, development banks, philanthropies, and private sector organizations focused on expanding energy access and green economic opportunities in over 30 countries.

Since its launch in 2021, the Alliance has supported projects expected to connect more than 90 million people to electricity, create 3.1 million jobs, and reduce nearly 300 million tons of carbon emissions worldwide, the statement added.

Dayal joined The Rockefeller Foundation in 2008 as Asia Managing Director, leading the Foundation’s regional office in Bangkok and overseeing the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network, a nine-year initiative supporting more than 50 cities in strengthening climate resilience.

He later became Senior Vice President for Power, where he led and supported several energy-related initiatives, including Smart Power India, Mission 300, Power ReMade, and programs aimed at expanding renewable energy access and advancing innovative financing solutions.

Before joining the Foundation, Dayal spent more than 15 years in senior leadership roles at Oxfam across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, including leading relief and recovery operations following the 2004 Asian tsunami. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economic Geography from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and a master’s degree in Economics and International Development from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

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