Douglas Griffiths

Douglas Griffiths has the privilege of guiding the work of Oak Foundation, an innovative family foundation dedicated to building a safer, fairer, and more sustainable world. In 2024, Oak made 411 programme grants in 40 countries, for a total of $466 million.

Before joining Oak Foundation, Doug was a career diplomat promoting democracy, good governance, environmental protection, and inclusion across four continents. He served as the US Ambassador to Mozambique, where he coordinated the investment of over $1 billion in US assistance to support a more sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous society.

Doug was the first US representative to the UN Human Rights Council (2009-2010) where he championed groundbreaking resolutions for freedom of expression, protection of minorities, and the first UN resolution recognising LGBTQI+ rights. Throughout his career, Doug has engaged in health systems strengthening, especially in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

Doug has a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Notre Dame. He likes to spend every free moment in nature and is passionate about protecting the environment for current and future generations.