William Grant

William Grant is a senior figure at DAI (Development Alternatives Inc.), a global development company. He serves as the Global Practice Leader for Market Systems Development, with a focus on the Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) approach.13

Career at DAI

Grant has been with DAI since 1986, dedicating his career to developing and implementing innovative models of market-led, sustainable economic development worldwide.2 As the Global Practice Leader, he has played a crucial role in:

• Developing and applying subsector, value chain, and M4P approaches
• Leading numerous programs that apply the Market Systems Development approach for private and international donors
• Bringing new models of market-led, sustainable economic development to various countries

Experience and Expertise

William Grant is considered a pioneer in developing market systems development (MSD) approaches.1 His extensive experience includes:

• Working in 50 countries, including 35 in Africa
• Over 35 years of experience in international development
• Publishing works on Market Systems Development, including a summary paper in 20155

Background

Interestingly, Grant comes from a family with a long history in international development:

• His great-grandfather built the first major hospital in Ningpo, China, in the 1880s
• His grandfather was the first doctor of public health in China in the 1920s
• His father was involved in designing U.S. Government foreign assistance programs in the 1950s and 1960s2

Grant's own journey in international development began when he joined the Peace Corps in 1978. He later pursued an MBA at Stanford Business School before joining DAI in 1986.2

William Grant's LinkedIn profile can be found under the username william-grant-9879723, confirming his role at DAI and his extensive connections in the field.4