February 18, 2015–Sunil Sinha, the Managing Director of Nathan Associates\r\nLondon, a thought leader and a prominent advocate of private sector development\r\nas a key pillar for the reduction of poverty, died suddenly on February 6.

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Sunil, who was born in India, studied Economics at the\r\nLondon School of Economics and then at the School of Oriental and African\r\nStudies. He joined Nathan Associates London (then Emerging Market Economics) in\r\n1999, following earlier spells with Coopers and Lybrand and then with his own\r\ncompany RES\r\n& Co. While primarily trained as an economist, he had a wide range\r\nof knowledge and was always well read and at the forefront of advances in the\r\nfield of economic development. This enabled him to deliver highly sought after\r\nconsultancy services for the development of policy and execution of research,\r\nas well as the design and implementation of programs.

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Over the last fifteen years, Sunil made significant\r\ncontributions to the development of new approaches following the breakdown of\r\nthe Washington consensus, greatly advancing our understanding of how private\r\nsector development could play a central role in supporting poverty reduction\r\nefforts. He was one of the authors of the important OECD framework document Accelerating Pro-Poor Growth through Support\r\nfor Private Sector Development in 2004. More recently he made important\r\ncontributions to the emergence of methodologies that put market systems at the\r\ncentre of programmes and in the development of tools and approaches for donors\r\nto work directly with the private sector, particularly the challenge fund instrument.

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As a consultant Sunil had an exceptional ability to translate\r\ntheory and diagnostic analysis into practical and pragmatic solutions. Just as\r\nimportant, he was also committed to ensuring that those working with him on\r\nassignments fully understood the why, what, and how behind any intervention.\r\nThis is perhaps the key reason why he is so fondly remembered by people he\r\nworked with all over the world.

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Nathan Associates London was Sunil?s second family. This\r\nmeant that he saw the development of its staff as a central part of his work.\r\nHe has mentored many young development professionals within the Company and\r\noften has continued to give them advice when they have moved on. He had the\r\nsame approach with clients, and many staff in client organisations also came to\r\nknow Sunil as a friend and as a person they could pick up the phone to and ask\r\nfor advice at any time.

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?Sunil was a unique person, loved and admired by many,??\r\nsaid Lakhbir Singh, president and chief executive officer of Nathan Associates\r\nInc., the parent company. ?He possessed a keen intellect, a wonderful sense of\r\nhumor, and a capacity for friendship that was truly extraordinary.??

\r\n\r\nSunil Sinha is survived by his wife Clare and\r\nchildren Sahil and Priya.