Prof. Willem Fourie leads the Policy Innovation Lab. He is an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and has served as an expert advisor to the African Union, and has worked with the United Nations, European Union, OECD and national government departments and founded one of the world’s largest and most intelligent platforms focused on evidence-informed policy advice.

He also co-founded a start-up that uses natural language processing to analyse policy-relevant information and has prior experience working with a global technology company. His research centres on the human dynamics that enable the achievement of ambitious policy agendas, especially through technology.

In 2023, Routledge published his monograph that explores a realistic and evidence-based approach to leadership that could support policy innovation.