Patrick Cortbaoui

Background

About Patrick Cortbaoui

An internationally recognized leader, strategist and bioresource engineer, renowned for his ability to drive impactful solutions across complex global food systems. With over two decades of international experience, Dr. Cortbaoui is distinguished for his visionary leadership, strategic acumen, and capacity to mobilize cross-sectoral partnerships to address food insecurity at scale. His approach combines deep field expertise with systems thinking, allowing him to navigate the nuances of international development and deliver high-impact, innovative, and scalable interventions. Currently serving as Senior Managing Director of the Margaret A. Gilliam Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at McGill University, Dr. Cortbaoui has redefined the Institute’s strategic direction, significantly elevating its global profile and forging transformative partnerships with academia, government agencies, the private sector, and civil society organizations. Under his leadership, IGFS has strengthened its operational efficiency and influence, with strategic oversight of core areas including research-for-development, program implementation, stakeholder engagement, resource mobilization, and talent development. A McGill champion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG #2 – Zero Hunger) for the University Global Coalition. His governance experience includes serving on the faculty council of McGill’s Sustainability Projects Fund, where he helped shape the fund’s strategic investments and knowledge mobilization initiatives. Throughout his career, Dr. Cortbaoui has spearheaded strategic planning processes, advised multidisciplinary teams on competitive positioning and partnership strategies, and led capacity-building efforts to strengthen implementation excellence. His ability to mentor emerging leaders and foster inclusive, collaborative work cultures has been pivotal in building resilient and adaptive organizations. Beyond his institutional role, Dr. Cortbaoui is an active contributor to global thought leadership and policy advocacy. He engages with influential platforms such as the FAO Global Forum on Food Security & Nutrition, where he leverages his expertise to influence global dialogue and action. He has tremendous expertise in numerous areas of critical importance to global food security, including but not limited to postharvest engineering, climate change mitigation strategies, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, food waste reduction, and sustainable and inclusive food systems, among others.