Director General at International Potato Institute

Simon Heck is the Director General of the International Potato Center (CIP), a CGIAR research center, and a member of the CGIAR Global Leadership Team.

Headquartered in Lima, Peru, CIP delivers science and innovation on root and tuber crops through a global network of public and private sector partners across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

An anthropologist by training, Simon brings extensive experience in agri-food systems and environmental management. He has held senior scientific and policy positions at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the WorldFish Center. His work has contributed to agricultural and environmental policy and strategy development at both regional and national levels throughout Africa and Asia.