Nicole Barnes Promoted to Senior Vice President for Sustainable Growth & Resilience

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Nicole Barnes has been promoted to Senior Vice President for Sustainable Growth & Resilience in the International Development Group (IDG) business unit at RTI International, a nonprofit research and international development institute.  
In this role Barnes will establish and lead IDG’s first technical unit – Sustainable Growth & Resilience – which is comprised of three closely aligned divisions that bring together RTI’s experience and technical expertise across food security, agriculture, energy, environment, water, governance, and economic opportunity. As head of this multisectoral unit, Barnes will lead efforts to deepen IDG’s technical specialization and depth while harnessing cross-sector connections to design and deliver integrated solutions that respond to climate change, build resilience, and promote economic growth.  

“Complex challenges like climate change and sustainable economic growth demand holistic, multisectoral approaches to analyze problems, design and implement solutions, and achieve lasting results,” said Paul Weisenfeld, Executive Vice President for International Development. “Nicole is a proven leader who will harness the vast potential of this multisectoral unit and its divisions to build on RTI’s experience in these sectors to increase our impact for our clients and the countries and communities in which we work.”  

An expert in public finance, Barnes spent 11 years working overseas consulting on a range of public finance issues and providing advisory services to governments. She has taken on numerous leadership roles at RTI, most recently as Vice President for IDG’s Learning, Energy, and Environment for Development division. Barnes has also worked extensively on RTI’s strategic positioning and business development and has served in key strategic advisory and partnership roles within RTI.

Barnes has held both long- and short-term assignments for the United States Agency for International Development, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank. She has worked in India, Indonesia, Jordan, Montenegro, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, and Uganda.

Barnes has a master’s degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in global studies from the University of Iowa.