SPIDER’s new Director – Dr. John Owuor

Dr. John Owuor, SPIDER Director

Dr John Owuor has been appointed the new Director for SPIDER, with effect from June 1st 2018. John holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of Huddersfield (UK). John has multidisciplinary background in Education, public health, research, and development cooperation.  

John previously worked as a high school teacher in Botswana, where his involvement in HIV awareness inspired a career change to Public health. He moved to England were he worked with leading organisations involved in sexual health promotion: Terrence Higgins Trust, National AIDS Trust, Sigma Research, African HIV Policy Network, and National AIDS Map . He then moved to Sweden where he has been engaged in various research initiatives at SPIDER. Prior to the current role, John was a Marie Curie Post doctoral research fellow at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where his research focused on the use of assistive technology for inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. “I am thrilled to be back at SPIDER with more experience and skills in the area of ICT and disabilities which will compliment the ongoing work by the SPIDER team”

Dr. Owuor will lead the organisation in the creation of a new strategy for the next five years, seizing SPIDER’s plans and vision for digitalisation of international development cooperation. His experience from work in Europe and Africa will be well positioned in SPIDER’s versatile team and its vast networks around the world. John is known to be humble, hard working and reliable and his motto is that one’s success depends on the quality of network(s) around you.

“SPIDER  is a pioneer but also an intermediary resource for creating positive networks between all types of organisations that are involved in ICT 4 Development, for example, we are part of promoting collaboration through partnering with funders for the forthcoming Digital Investment Principles. SPIDER is neither too big nor too small thanks to our partnerships, our team does a lot and has built up a credible global organisation successful in managing large investments while also staying true to our local and community focus. SPIDER enjoys the support given by Sida and the collaboration and good relations with other global and national partners.“

John Owuor succeeds Kerstin Borglin, who will remain involved through the ITP programme for African Telecom Regulators, ensuring a smooth transition which will focus on growing the success of SPIDER with more capacity and new partnerships across sector lines just as defined by Sustainable Development Goal 17 of Agenda 2030.

LinkedinIn – Dr. Owuor