Jean Balié

Jean Balié has over two decades of experience in leadership and expertise in developing policies for agriculture, food, and rural development.

As Director General of IRRI, Balié sets the global strategic direction of the institute and manages its affairs in accordance with the policies and decisions of the IRRI Board of Trustees. Balié concurrently serves as CGIAR  Regional Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. He joined IRRI in 2018 as Head of the Agri-Food Policy Platform. Before becoming Director General, he served as Research Director - External Engagement and Deputy Director General for Research. Prior to IRRI, Balié worked as a Policy Officer, Senior Economist, and Strategic Program Manager at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). He earned his PhD in agricultural economics at the University of Göttingen in Germany. He holds master’s degrees from Montpellier SupAgro and the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) and an Ingénieur Agronome diploma from École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Toulouse (ENSAT).