David Wofford

David Wofford is senior director of the Private Sector Strategy and Engagement for the UN Foundation/Universal Access Project, where he leads the Private Sector Action on Women’s Health and Empowerment initiative as well as provides management support for the Resilience Fund for Women in Global Value Chains which invests in women-led organizations. In this role, he oversees partnerships with more than 35 companies and civil society organizations, which include corporate commitments to women’s health, business case research, and guidance materials. He is a leading thinker and strategist on the corporate role in society for women workers and marginalized people.

David brings more than 25 years’ experience on sustainability policies and workplace programs to improve workplace health for women and men workers and promote systemic change at the global and supply chain levels. He implemented women’s health initiatives in workplaces for USAID-funded global and country projects in South and Southeast Asia, East and West Africa and the Caribbean. David has partnered on supply chain projects with, among others, BSR, the Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Better Work program, Levi Strauss & Co., and Unilever. He has led business case research on workplace health in Bangladesh and Egypt (with BSR).

David recently co-authored the report, “Meeting the Unmet Needs of Responsible Sourcing,” and a related article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, ”Business executives need to be pushed towards responsible sourcing.” His published work also includes “A call for action on women’s health: putting corporate CSR standards for workplace health on the global health agenda,” (Globalization and Health, 2016) and “Recognizing women’s rights at work: health and women workers in global supply chains,” (Berkeley Journal of International Law, 2017). Previously, he worked at the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank, and held senior positions in the U.S. Government, including the Development Finance Corporation and the White House. A graduate of Duke University, he has a master’s degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.