Jim Yong Kim

EXCLUSIVE
  • President, World Bank Group (2012-2019)
  • President, Dartmouth College (2009-2012)
  • Co-Founder, Partners in Health
  • Vice Chairman and Partner, Global Infrastructure Partners

12th President of the World Bank Group Jim Yong Kim is a global visionary devoted to improving the lives of people in developing countries and championing the cause of global health. Renowned for his pioneering approaches to tackling global health issues, education, and economic development at the World Bank, Kim re-defined the institution's work amplifying the voices of the world's poor, vowing to end extreme poverty by 2030.

Before his time at the World Bank, Kim served as President of Dartmouth College – becoming the first Asian-American president of an Ivy League institution – and as Executive Director and co-founder of the internationally renowned non-profit medical organization Partners In Health (PIH). At PIH, Kim helped launch a movement that changed global health forever, tackling some of the world's most difficult health problems, and proving experts wrong in what medical treatments and results are possible in communities of extreme poverty. Kim's work at PIH has now been replicated in 40+ countries and is chronicled in the award-winning documentary Bending the Arc and bestselling book Mountains Beyond Mountains. Kim also served as Chief of the Department of Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the World Health Organization's HIV/AIDS department. At WHO Kim led the groundbreaking "3 by 5" initiative, the first-ever global goal for AIDS treatment.

Sought-out to speak everywhere from TED to the World Economic Forum, Kim's ideas and efforts have changed the way the world thinks about global development. A physician and anthropologist, he is the recipient of a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship and has been recognized as one of America's "25 Best Leaders" by U.S. News & World Report, named to TIME's "100 Most Influential People in the World," and listed to Forbes' "World's Most Powerful People." Kim inspires people to change the world and provides eye-opening and empowering insights on just how we can do it

 


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Past Hosts Include:
  • Sky News Arabia
  • TED
  • World Economic Forum
  • LinkedIn
  • Global Citizen Festival
  • Brown University
  • Global HR Forum
  • Brookings Institute
  • Global Philanthropy Forum
  • Stanford Graduate School of Business
Rave Reviews About Jim Yong Kim
Throughout my career I had the privilege to sit and talk to so many leaders, government officials, decision makers and so on. But I have to say that I have never enjoyed a panel like the one we had this week for so any reasons. First and for most I love how humble you are, the way you spoke to everyone. Everyone here loved you. I have learned so much, you have no idea… I will always keep in mind the important tips you gave us: keep your aspiration high, take education seriously, take care of your mental health, don’t spend so much time on social media, think big and care for yourself. I will make sure to pass them to my younger sisters, friends and students I train. I thank you for giving me hope. Talking to you this week, made feel that with leaders like yourself we can really achieve some progress and make the world a better place for the next generations.

In Conversation - On global policy leadership and what is needed to address the world’s policy issues | Duke U. Sanford School of Pub. Pol. [1:08:52] - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Jim Yong Kim
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Mental Health Moment: Practical Solutions for You, Your Family, Your Community, and the World

DR. JIM YONG KIM, whose career includes leading large-scale initiatives to tackle tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, has turned his expertise to the mental health crisis that has emerged from the permacrisis, the overlapping burdens of climate change, social inequality and political instability. The drain o ...

DR. JIM YONG KIM, whose career includes leading large-scale initiatives to tackle tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, has turned his expertise to the mental health crisis that has emerged from the permacrisis, the overlapping burdens of climate change, social inequality and political instability.

The drain on our collective wellbeing is well documented — from ballooning rates depression and anxiety, especially among young people, to rising suicide rates, and a dearth of adequate care for those with severe mental illness. But these problems are also solvable, says Dr. Kim.

He presents compelling analysis of how proven medical interventions merged with broader social movements to fundamentally alter the course of past pandemics. And he makes the case that a similar mix of science and activism must come together to tackle mental health. The current challenge is one of mental health care delivery, with meaningful interventions that are both medical and social. We now have the knowledge, tools and experience to deliver much better outcomes at scale.

With decades of experience as a leader at Partners In Health, the World Health Organization and Harvard Medical School, and then as the president of both Dartmouth College and the World Bank Group, Dr. Kim offers unique insight into the challenges and potential benefits of a mental health movement that would transform the stigma and poor treatment outcomes that have plagued the field.

He’ll present his vision to energize this movement, and give practical advice on how audience members can improve mental health for themselves, their families, their communities, and the world.  

Investing in the World: A Conversation about Human Capital, Infrastructure, and Global Economics with Dr. Jim Yong Kim

In this talk, DR. JIM YONG KIM discusses the importance of investments in the poorest communities, and how modern financial and business models are transforming the effectiveness of investments in the developing world.  His life's work has been to fund and execute innovative programs to address infr ...

In this talk, DR. JIM YONG KIM discusses the importance of investments in the poorest communities, and how modern financial and business models are transforming the effectiveness of investments in the developing world.  His life's work has been to fund and execute innovative programs to address infrastructure needs, prevent pandemics, and help the millions of people forcibly displaced from their homes by climate shocks, conflict, and violence. As a former President of the World Bank and partner at Global Infrastructure Partners, Dr. Kim discusses the importance of infrastructure and human capital in emerging markets to tackle the complex and interconnected issues of global health, economic prosperity and climate change.

Climate Change and Global Economics

After his tenure as President of the World Bank, DR. JIM YONG KIM joined Global Infrastructure Partners to invest in emerging markets to improve quality of life, economic prosperity, and health, and to mitigate the effects of climate change in those communities. Addressing issues as varied as sustai ...

After his tenure as President of the World Bank, DR. JIM YONG KIM joined Global Infrastructure Partners to invest in emerging markets to improve quality of life, economic prosperity, and health, and to mitigate the effects of climate change in those communities. Addressing issues as varied as sustained drought, plagues, and internet access are all part of his mission to invest in human capital and the prevailing issues in developing countries. In this talk, Dr. Kim addresses how the right economic investments can combat climate change, and as a result improve the health, economic prosperity and security of the developing world.

 

Dying for Growth: Global Inequality and the Health of the Poor

In this talk, Former President of the World Bank DR. JIM YONG KIM discusses the world's most pressing global health problems, which are also economic and global security risks. He shares his insights from his decades of work serving the world's poorest and most desperate communities as a Co-Founder ...

In this talk, Former President of the World Bank DR. JIM YONG KIM discusses the world's most pressing global health problems, which are also economic and global security risks. He shares his insights from his decades of work serving the world's poorest and most desperate communities as a Co-Founder of Partners in Health, a global health non-profit whose mission is to bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need and to serve as an antidote to despair. He inspires and challenges with the question that inspired his viral TED Talk: Doesn't everyone deserve a chance at a good life?

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Speaker News

A round of golf with Jim Yong Kim changes perspectives on mental health

JIM YONG KIM, former World Bank Group president (2012-2019) and president of Dartmouth College (2009-2012), sees an unlikely starting point for conversations about mental health: golf. Referencing golf’s naturally therapeutic aspects such as socialization and time outdoors, Dr. Kim hopes targeted programming on mental health will eventually make its way into colleges and universities nationwide, perhaps using golf as an entry point. Dr. Kim told Golf Digest, “Golf is, in so many ways, an antidote to the problems we’re seeing with social isolation and loneliness, both physical and mental.”

Reach out to invite Dr. Kim to speak to your organization on the importance of and opportunities to administer first aid for the mind.

Watch Dr. Kim’s keynote at the Milken Institute >>

Watch Dr. Kim in conversation with Stanford Medicine >>

Dr. Jim Yong Kim speaks on technology, governance, and politics

How do we grow governmental and social change engineering into culture to achieve success? Why are the issues of poverty, climate, and disease still major obstacles to the struggles for change? Is government communication at the global level a reason to abort successful change efforts?

Public health expert Dr. JIM YONG KIM is primed to comment on the potential impact of campaign platforms if implemented. As former president of the World Bank, Dr. Kim understands the nuances of working towards a shared vision of resource access and equity. Reflecting on his time spent working to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges, Dr. Kim provides audiences with an accessible overview of our current situation and solutions to the many global challenges we face. Sky News Arabia’s anchor said that speaking to Dr. Kim felt inspiring, affirming that “we can really achieve some progress and make the world a better place for the next generations.”

Watch Dr. Kim’s keynote at the Milken Institute >>

Watch Dr. Kim in conversation with Stanford Medicine >>

Global visionary Jim Yong Kim understands today's mental health moment, and shares practical solutions for you, your family, and the world

DR. JIM YONG KIM, whose career includes leading large-scale initiatives to tackle tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, has turned his expertise to the mental health crisis that has emerged from the overlapping burdens of climate change, social inequality, and political instability. The drain on our collective wellbeing is well documented — from ballooning rates depression and anxiety, especially among young people, to rising suicide rates, and a dearth of adequate care for those with severe mental illness. But these problems are also solvable, says Dr. Kim, who has declared the current era “mental health’s moment.” 

Dr. Kim makes the case that a mix of science and activism must come together to tackle mental health. The current challenge is one of mental health care delivery, with meaningful interventions that are both medical and social. We now have the knowledge, tools, and experience to deliver much better outcomes at scale. With decades of experience as a leader at Partners In Health, the World Health Organization and Harvard Medical School, and then as the president of both Dartmouth College and the World Bank Group, Dr. Kim offers unique insight into the challenges and potential benefits of a mental health movement that would transform the stigma and poor treatment outcomes that have plagued the field.

Dr. Kim will present his vision to energize this movement and give practical advice on how audience members can improve mental health for themselves, their families, their communities, and the world.

Watch Jim Yong Kim on The David Rubenstein Show >>

Watch Jim Yong Kim’s viral TED Talk >>

Leadership and Execution: Public Health Expert and former World Bank President Dr. Jim Yong Kim is a leading voice on global health

Physician, public health expert, anthropologist, and former President of the World Bank JIM YONG KIM speaks about improving the lives of people in developing countries and championing the cause of global health, based off of his decades of experience treating some of the largest global health problems, including HIV/Aids. Dr. Kim shares how, with clarity, cooperation, and process any group or industry can truly make the seemingly impossible possible. Following his service at WHO, Kim was Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Kim is the co-founder of Partners in Health, a leader in transforming heath and healthcare systems in some of the world’s poorest and most marginalized communities.

Dr. Kim is sought after by audiences, governments and organizations for guidance on global health issues. He has received a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and was named to TIME's "100 Most Influential People in the World" and listed to Forbes' "World's Most Powerful People." Dr. Kim has spoken for groups including LinkedIn, Global Citizen Festival, Brown University, Global HR Forum, Brookings Institute, and more, and gave the viral TED Talk Doesn’t Everyone Deserve a Chance at a Good Life?

Watch Jim Yong Kim at Standford Medicine >>

Watch Jim Yong Kim on the LinkedIn Speaker Series >>

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Books by Jim Yong Kim
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Biography

Jim Yong Kim (@JimYongKim), M.D., PhD, is Vice Chairman and Partner at Global Infrastructure Partners, a fund that invests in infrastructure projects across several sectors around the world.

From July 2012 to February 2019, Kim served as the 12th President of the World Bank Group. Soon after he assumed that position, the organization established two goals to guide its work: to end extreme poverty by 2030; and to boost shared prosperity, focusing on the bottom 40 percent of the population in developing countries.

During Kim’s tenure, the World Bank Group supported the development priorities of countries at levels never seen outside of a financial crisis. Along with partners, the World Bank achieved two successive, record replenishments of the International Development Association (IDA), the institution’s fund for the poorest countries, which has enabled the Bank to greatly increase its work in areas suffering from fragility, conflict, and violence.

In 2018, the World Bank Group’s shareholders approved a historic capital increase for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which offers sovereign loans to middle-income countries, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Bank Group’s private sector arm. The capital increase will allow the Bank Group to help countries reach their development goals while responding to crises such as climate change, pandemics, fragility, and underinvestment in human capital around the world.

The World Bank Group also launched several innovative financial instruments, including facilities to address infrastructure needs, prevent pandemics, and help the millions of people forcibly displaced from their homes by climate shocks, conflict, and violence. The Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) made its first cash grant in 2018 to support frontline Ebola response efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of January 2019, the Bank Group is working with the United Nations and leading technology companies to implement the Famine Action Mechanism, which uses technology such as artificial intelligence to detect warning signs earlier and prevent famines before they begin.

A physician and anthropologist, Kim’s career has revolved around health, education, and improving the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable. He was born in South Korea to parents who had fled the violence of the Korean War and grew up in Iowa, where his father was a practicing dentist and his mother was a philosopher and theologian. Kim graduated from Brown University, then became one of the first students to study jointly for a medical degree from Harvard Medical School and a PhD in anthropology at Harvard University.

While at Harvard, Kim co-founded Partners In Health, a non-profit medical organization that provides healthcare to poor communities on four continents. With Partners In Health, Kim developed treatment programs for complex, deadly diseases such as multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis and AIDS in the poorest areas of Haiti, Peru, and several other countries. From 2003 to 2005, Kim served as Director of the World Health Organization’s HIV/AIDS department. He led WHO’s “3 by 5” initiative, the first-ever global goal for AIDS treatment, which greatly expanded access to antiretroviral medication in developing countries.

Following his service at WHO, Kim was Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard School of Public Health. In 2009, he was named the 17th President of Dartmouth College, where he served until he was nominated by President Barack Obama to lead the World Bank Group. Kim was the first leader of the Bank Group who did not come from the financial or political sectors and the first who had personal experience tackling development issues in poor countries.

Kim holds a B.A. from Brown University, and an M.D. and PhD in medical anthropology from Harvard University. He received a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, was recognized as one of America’s “25 Best Leaders” byU.S. News & World Report, and was named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World.”


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