Devex Pro Insider: Who made the Power 50 cut? Pro readers get the scoop

Putting together the Devex Power 50 list was never a spreadsheet exercise. It was more art than science — and a lot of spirited newsroom debate. The global development sector is in the middle of a giant reset: the United States and other major donors are pulling back, traditional aid models are under strain, and new players are stepping into the vacuum. Power is shifting — and we wanted to know where, how, and to whom. “I keep calling it a labor of love; the newsroom might think it’s more of a labor than love, but we’re very proud of the list,” said Devex Managing Editor Anna Gawel on the latest episode of our weekly podcast, This Week in Global Development. We set out to identify the people who could make — or break — global development in the year ahead. Not just the loudest voices or the most obvious names. Yes, we know that U.S. President Donald Trump has dramatically reshaped the foreign aid landscape, so he doesn’t make the grade. But the most consequential influence today often sits behind the scenes: in philanthropy, development finance, artificial intelligence, global health, climate, and emerging donor capitals. The result is the Devex Power 50 — a snapshot of the individuals actively transforming how development works in a post-aid era. These are leaders adapting to shrinking aid budgets, rethinking how capital flows, and experimenting with new tools — from blended finance to AI — to stretch impact further, faster, and, ideally, more sustainably. The list is only available in full to you, dear Pro readers. You can read about Jeremy Lewin, State Department’s acting undersecretary for foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs, and religious freedom; YouTube sensation MrBeast; Pepukaye Bardouille, director of the Bridgetown Initiative; and Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, U.S. deputy director of national intelligence for policy and capabilities, along with 46 others. “One of the joys of the list is finding things about people's backgrounds that you might not otherwise have known,” said Deputy Managing Editor Fiona Zublin on the podcast. Business Editor David Aisworth agrees. “There were a couple of people here that I knew literally nothing about beforehand that I kind of felt like I should have,” he said. Formulating a list like this will never be exact or easy — we are all secretly hoping there is no Power 100 in the cards. But with years of reporting behind it, the Devex newsroom knows this ecosystem deeply. The Power 50 is our best guide to the people you’ll need to watch — and understand — if you want to follow where global progress is headed in 2026. Bits and pieces Influence versus impact. Power 50 has been sparking thoughtful reactions from across the sector. One of those on the list, Naina Subberwal Batra, reflected on more than a decade at the helm of AVPN — Asia’s largest network of social investors — and underscored how fast the ground is shifting. With official development assistance declining “in rapid and unpredictable ways,” the next decade, she wrote, will determine how development is funded, how capital is deployed, and whether shared responsibility for people and planet moves from rhetoric to reality — particularly in Asia, where wealth, ambition, and experimentation are converging. Others zoomed in on what power really means. On social media, commentators praised the inclusion of Ghanaian President John Mahama, who ranked fifth on the list, for elevating the “Accra Reset” — an African-led push for fairer debt relief, stronger trade terms, and local control over climate finance. But tougher questions were also posed: Influence is one thing; delivery is another. Can global clout translate into everyday impact? Questions resurface. Melinda French Gates has called on her former husband, Bill Gates, to answer questions raised by newly released files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Speaking on the Wild Card podcast, she said the disclosures reopen “very, very painful times” from her marriage. The newly unsealed trove — part of millions of pages released by the U.S. Justice Department — includes graphic claims by Epstein that a Gates spokesperson called “absolutely absurd and completely false.” Gates has apologized for “every minute” spent with Epstein. “The more that comes out, the more clear it will be that although the time was a mistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behaviour," he said in a recent interview. French Gates said the documents filled her with “unbelievable sadness,” adding, “I’m able to take my own sadness and look at those young girls and say, ‘My God, how did that happen to those girls?’” While French Gates said she has moved on, she hopes the renewed attention brings accountability — and “some justice for those now-women.” Money moving. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation says it’s time to move from setup to spending in Ukraine. At a Center for Strategic and International Studies fireside chat, DFC Chief of Staff and Head of Investments Conor Coleman said the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund is now reviewing 50-plus projects and starting to get “dollars out the door.” Critical minerals are front and center — from “pit to port,” covering extraction through processing and manufacturing — with lithium, titanium, and graphite high on the list. Despite the risks of investing in Ukraine, Coleman stressed the upside of a joint U.S.-Ukrainian structure: “You have both flags in the capital structure,” and clear political backing to make the fund “the flagship of Ukraine’s reconstruction.” Devex Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger recently sat down with Coleman to discuss the role of the agency. Stay tuned for more from that interview this week. Court challenge. A coalition of immigration groups, lawyers, and U.S. citizens is suing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department over a sweeping order that froze immigrant visa approvals for nationals of 75 countries. Filed in a U.S. district court in New York, the lawsuit says the move “eviscerates” decades of immigration policy and rests on “the demonstrably false claim” that migrants are likely to rely on welfare. The freeze was announced last month in a blunt social media post saying the department would stop processing visas from “countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates.” Plaintiffs argue the suspension amounts to an illegal near-blanket ban and has left families separated — including U.S. citizens whose spouses and children are now stranded abroad. Aid not wasted. House Committee on Foreign Affairs Vice Ranking Member Gabe Amo, a Democrat from Rhode Island, has introduced the SUPPLIES Act — legislation aimed at stopping the destruction of unused, taxpayer-funded foreign aid when contracts expire. The legislation would require the State Department to put basic safeguards in place so food, medicine, and other supplies are redirected — not burned, trashed, or left to expire — under policies tied to Trump and Rubio. “Donald Trump and Marco Rubio aren’t cutting waste, they’re creating it and weakening America’s standing on the world stage,” Amo said. “The SUPPLIES Act will ensure that American aid saves lives and is a reminder to the world of our goodwill.” Cash for Sudan. Last week, we told you that the Trump administration was hosting a funding event for Sudan — at fairly short notice. But as we noted, “money is money,” and the event raised a lot of it — $1.5 billion to be exact. “The United States invited more than 20 donors to the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace where we announced $200 million in additional support through the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) alongside generous contributions from other donors,” the State Department said, citing donors such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Chad, the U.K., and Norway. “While we remain proud of America’s unmatched generosity, President Trump has made it clear that other nations must also shoulder a greater share of the burden for this lifesaving work,” it added. The next meeting will be on April 15 in Berlin, Germany. In memoriam Barry Greene, the respected former chief financial officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and The Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, has passed away. A central figure in global health financing, Greene helped set up the Global Fund as its inaugural CFO and later brought that financial stewardship to Gavi, playing a quiet but critical role in strengthening major international health efforts. The Norwegian Refugee Council is mourning the loss of colleague Maira Alejandra Avendaño Rincón, who was traveling on flight NSE 8849 when it crashed in northeast Colombia on Jan. 28. Avendaño Rincón served as NRC’s protection coordinator in the northeast region, supporting victims of armed conflict. A lawyer specializing in human rights and international humanitarian law, she joined NRC in 2015 and went on to lead protection efforts across multiple departments in Colombia. Steven Matthew Dyokas passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 26 at age 57. A longtime member of the U.S. Foreign Service, he served in diplomatic postings across Asia, Europe, and Australia, including Japan, China, Montenegro, and Vietnam. Colleagues remember him as a dedicated public servant and a devoted husband and father. Moving on The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has named Fonteh Akum as the next director of the Carnegie Africa program. Akum, who will also serve as a senior fellow, starts in late April and brings 25 years of experience as a researcher, leader, and practitioner. He most recently led the Institute for Security Studies, building a reputation as a leading voice on peace, security, and governance in Africa. The Global Health Council is refreshing its board for 2026-2028, welcoming three members in strategy, policy, and health innovation: Nidhi Bouri, Spring Gombe, and Deon Norals. The new members bring experience across global health policy, advocacy, and health tech. James Cerwinski has joined Google as a global HR compliance manager after months of uncertainty following USAID’s dismantling. He described the transition as challenging and transformative, especially after losing his role at USAID. Nora Ingdal is starting a new position as country director at Save the Children International Lebanon. Helen Keller Intl has named several new members to its executive leadership team — all are women, and all are based in the countries where the nonprofit works. The nonprofit says the appointments signal a move away from a traditional top-down INGO model toward country-led leadership. The new executives — Lan Mercado, managing director of East and southern Africa and Asia; Joyce Ngugi, chief financial and operating officer; and Fatoumata Diouf, managing director of Central and West Africa — are based in Manila, Nairobi, and Dakar, respectively. Agnes Kante has started as private partnerships and philanthropy manager at the International Committee of the Red Cross. In announcing the move, Kante noted the tough funding climate for humanitarian organizations and said she’s grateful to help mobilize critically needed resources to protect and assist people affected by conflict and violence. Karin Källander has started as senior adviser for innovation at Innovation Services & Systems, based in Stockholm. Källander highlighted a world of overlapping crises, tighter budgets, and SDG progress slipping off track — and the growing urgency to deliver for children. Patrick Ketiem has been appointed director-general of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization. Racey Muchilwa, head of sub-Saharan Africa at Novartis, marked her final day in the role in January, closing what she described as “an extraordinary season.” Reflecting on the role, she called leading the region “a profound responsibility and an honour.” Dr. Keith Martin, executive director of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, is starting a new position as commissioner at the Lancet Global Health Commission on Anti-Corruption in Health. Renate Roels has been appointed evaluation officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization. Dr. Abdihamid Sheikh Ibrahim has taken on the role of health specialist of integrated primary health care delivery at UNICEF’s Global Child Survival Centre of Excellence in Nairobi. The move follows 18 months at UNICEF’s Eastern & Southern Africa Regional Office. Sophie Sirtaine is taking on a new role as World Bank Group global director for financial services, overseeing financial resilience and integrity, capital market development, financial inclusion, and disaster risk finance. She said the appointment comes as financial sectors are being reshaped by technology, shifting customer demands, and new regulatory frameworks. Sirtaine will continue as CEO of CGAP for the time being. Jamie Zimmerman is stepping into a new role at the Gates Foundation as its principal lead and senior adviser within maternal, newborn, child nutrition, and health. After leading the foundation’s work on gender equality, digital connectivity, and emerging technologies since 2021 — including the Digital Connectivity Learning Agenda — Zimmerman says her focus is now shifting from learning to execution. Up next The 62nd Munich Security Conference will be held Feb. 13-15 at Munich’s Hotel Bayerischer Hof. The gathering will bring together global leaders for high-level debates on the most pressing foreign and security policy challenges shaping the world today. My colleague Jesse Chase-Lubitz will be there. Want to chat? Drop her a line at jesse.chaselubitz@devex.com. The African Union summit — specifically the 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Heads of State and Government — is scheduled to take place from Feb. 11 to 15 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. My colleague Ayenat Mersie will be on the ground. To get in touch, drop her a line at ayenat.mersie@devex.com.