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Darian Stibbe

Executive Director

Darian Stibbe is an internationally-recognised pioneer of multi-stakeholder collaboration, working extensively with governments, multi-national companies, INGOs and the UN to drive effective collaboration at scale. He is a major contributor to much of the theory and practice being integrated into partnerships and organisations around the world and has instigated a wide range of ambitious programmes to help make collaboration the ‘new normal’.

His cutting-edge work makes sense of complexity, building much needed clarity, and codifying everything from the 10 forms of collaborative advantage that enable partnerships to deliver more than the sum of their parts, to how organisations must adapt to become institutionally ‘fit for partnering’. Darian is lead author of the United Nations’ SDG Partnership Guidebook, now becoming the ‘standard text’ for in-country partnering around the world.

He has had considerable impact in helping to shift the UN system to become more collaborative, particularly with business. As well as training over a thousand UN staff, he has developed the partnering strategies of multiple agencies, as well as analysing and supporting them to optimize their partnering.

He plays a significant role influencing governments and international policy through engagement with the UNGA / HLPF and through his representation of the private sector at the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (for which he developed the seminal Roadmap for the effective engagement of business as a partner in development). He is the co-founder

Darian works extensively with the private sector – both supporting multi-national companies and foundations to maximise their partnering impact, as well as driving wider change through collaborating with membership organisations including the ICC, WBCSD and ICMM.

The Annual Review of Social Partnerships has recognised him for his inspirational work as a ‘Thexis Leader’: the ability of people to move to an evolved understanding in any field by merging theoretical and practical insights, theories and experiences. The award noted: “One nomination referred to Stibbe as ‘a bit like the partnering Oracle, offering a wealth of practical delivery experience and an amazing ability to generate knowledge capital that quickly becomes international best practice.’ Another stated that ‘Darian is steeped in partnership theory and practice. His depth of knowledge inspires you to go beyond what you thought possible’.”

Darian began his career as a theoretical quantum physicist, including as a NASA scientist before segueing into sustainable development.

He lives in Oxford and plays the keyboard in a local indie covers band, with far more enthusiasm than talent.

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