Lars Gustavsson
Board Member
Lars Gustavsson, a Swedish national, has spent most of his professional life working in the Overseas Development Assistance Industry. Through-out most of his life he has led many “Build-Operate-Transfer” efforts ranging from small company start-ups, to consortia and coalitions, to major organizational functional change efforts, to academia and new degree programmes, to major complex relief efforts, to major infrastructure projects.
Currently, he is working as Advisor to the President of Walla University for Strategy and Innovation part time, while also working as an independent author and speaker drawing from his 35 years deeply engaged in Global Development Issues. He spends much of his time Consulting and Advising in the “4th Sector” space, focusing on new approaches that are more effective in leveraging Charity and Markets for Humanity, through Convening, Connecting and Catalysing.
Lars spent about 18 years with World Vision International, the most recent role serving as Chief Futurist and Vice President of the Office of Global Strategy. Prior to this, he served as Senior Executive Officer and Vice President for Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs, Collaboration and Business Innovation. This role included managing WV’s Global Capitals portfolio, Global Supply Chain, Global Fleet Management, and Global Travel Service.
Prior to this he served as Country Director for ADRA in Rwanda, and later as Senior Administrator for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International’s Economic Development portfolio, Food Aid Portfolio, Child Survival Portfolio and as the organization’s liaison specialist for the countries of the former Soviet Union and the French-speaking African nations.
Lars is an Adjunct Professor in the School of International Public Health at Loma Linda University in California. He is principal architect of the Master’s Degree for International Development for ADRA International in Washington, DC and Andrews University in Michigan, and also one of the co-contributors to the establishment of a Masters in Humanitarian Logistics at the University of Lugano in southern Switzerland, and a Master’s Degree in International and Community Development hosted by Southern University in Collegedale, Tennessee. He is a member of APF – the Association of Professional Futurists – and serves as an Executive in Residence at the INSEAD University in France. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) and an Honorary Doctorate in Laws (Hon. LL. D.)