Season 4 - Ep. 6 | Action Creates Hope: A Conversation with IRC President and CEO David Miliband

On today’s Redefiners episode, Simon and Hoda sit down with David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC). David oversees the agency’s humanitarian relief operations in more than 50 war-affected countries and its refugee resettlement and assistance programs in 28 United States cities.

David shares the journey of how the IRC was founded by Albert Einstein and has since grown to help 33 million people in countries affected by crisis in 2023 alone. He talks about how the IRC prioritizes its limited resources to help those in need and how he manages through the complexities of not only providing aid to clients living in war-torn areas, but also of working with a host of partners often with competing agendas. He also digs into the importance of trust and what leaders can do to build or rebuild trust with their organizations, partners, and clients/customers.

We’ll also hear from Dee Symons, a Managing Director in our London office, who will highlight why trust is such a critical component of an effective team, and how leaders can best foster a culture of trust.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:

• Leadership Lounge | Advice on when—and how—to weigh in on social issues
• Doing Well by Doing Good: Feike Sijbesma, CEO Emeritus of Royal DSM, on the Power of Bold Change
• Thriving Through Adversity: How WTO’s Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is Solving Global Problems

David Miliband
President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

David Miliband is the President & CEO of the International Rescue Committee. He oversees the agency’s operations in 40 crisis-affected countries and its refugee resettlement and assistance programs throughout Europe and the Americas. He previously served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for the United Kingdom.