Yvonne MacPherson

Yvonne MacPherson is the U.S. Director of BBC Media Action, the international charity of the BBC created to use media and communication for development. She has lived on 3 continents and her work has taken her to nearly 50 countries. As US Director she leads the relationship with key funders and partners, including the US government, the United Nations and private foundations, and contributes to the strategic design of programs that use media to achieve development goals.

Prior to her US position, she was BBC Media Action’s Country Director in India. In this role she was responsible for all strategic, program, financial and technical aspects of the organisation’s operations in India. While working in India from 2004-2011, Yvonne designed and managed behavior change initiatives on HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, gender equality and livelihoods, among others. These programs where locally produced, using radio, television, online and mobile phones combined with community outreach to provide vital information to people in need. Yvonne’s experience covers the breadth of communication formats, from drama, interactive discussion programs, public service advertisements, reality television shows, competitions, outdoor advertising to mobile ring tones, job aids and continuing education content.

As an Affiliate Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center, she will examine a host of digital solutions used to respond to global health emergencies and focus on understanding the impact these solutions have on human behavior and social norms. She holds a MSc from the London School of Economics and a BA (Hons) from McGill University.