Paul Mitchell

Paul Mitchell is a Manager in the World Bank’s Operational Communication Division of External Affairs.  He previously managed the Development Communication Division and he also used to manage the Bank wide regional communications network, as well as the communication work in the South Asia and Africa regions. Paul is an internationally recognized expert in development communication with more than 30 years of experience in political risk analysis and management; change management; economic, utility, judicial, and public administrative reform; and also strategic communications, participatory processes, and public consultation. He has worked in more than 50 countries and more than 150 development projects and programs assisting governments with their communications on difficult reform programs and high risk projects.  A Canadian national, Paul was the head of communications with the United Nations World Food Programme, where he often served as the chief United Nations spokesperson during global relief operations, prior to joining the World Bank.

After 10 years of being part of every war famine and disaster in the world and then 12 years of work in the field, Paul strongly believes that communication has been consistently undervalued as a long term development tool and that many including communicators themselves do not see that the broader role and meaning of communication.