Sam Dryden to Head Up Gates Foundation Agricultural Development Division

Sam Dryden has been named the new agricultural development director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The agricultural development division of the Seattle foundation is trying to help poor farmers in the world improve productivity and incomes by providing better seeds, farm management training, and access to markets. So far, the foundation has committed $1.4 billion to agricultural efforts in Africa and South Asia.

Dryden formerly worked at Wolfensohn & Co., an investment firm where he focused on investments in biofuels and alternative energies. He also has served as president and CEO of seed company Agrigenetics Corp. and founded private venture and development company Big Stone Inc. He’s also worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis.

He’ll replace Dr. Rajiv Shah, who was named to serve as administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

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