Sara Shirzad is senior director of Eurasia Foundation’s Innovative Training Solutions division, where she leads the development and implementation of technology-based training programs suitable for locations with limited bandwidth and accessibility. Since joining EF in 2012, Sara has developed and managed numerous training programs aimed at supporting community leaders to identify novel solutions for pressing problems, such as poverty, youth underemployment, health issues, and exclusion of minority groups, including persons with disabilities. These programs have built the capacity of local organizations to protect and address their constituents’ needs more effectively by engaging beneficiaries and other key stakeholders.

Before joining EF, Sara worked as the co-founder and managing director of a leading recruitment, assessment, and training consultancy firm, where she led HR consulting projects for industry-leading companies such as Danone, GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, as well as international organizations such as UNICEF. She holds an advanced degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Bolton, UK, where she completed her dissertation on Innovative Training and Development Techniques with a first-class mark.