Steve Godfrey FRSA

Director of Policy, Office of Executive Director


Steve joined GAIN in 2012 following five years as Managing Director of the Commonwealth Business Council, where he was responsible for investment and policy work with heads of government in more than 50 countries. He has worked as an advisor to the UK Department for International Development, Canadian Foreign Minister and President of the Queen’s Privy Council of Canada, and has consulted to the United Nations, World Bank, European Union and various international companies. Steve was appointed Head of the Commonwealth office in South Africa from 1993 to 1999, leading the Commonwealth technical assistance programme during the country’s transition to majority rule. He later managed the private sector consultations of the Commission for Africa chaired by then UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Steve began his career working for development NGOs, including Oxfam and War on Want in the UK and Inter Pares in Canada. He holds an MA in Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts.