Rowan Barnett

Rowan Barnett leads Google.org in Europe, Middle East and Africa. As a data-driven, human-focused philanthropy powered by Google, he oversees Google’s philanthropic funding, product donations and employee giving and volunteering in the region, supporting innovative nonprofits using technology to tackle complex global challenges and create more opportunity for everyone. In his previous roles at Google, he also led Google.org’s philanthropy across Asia Pacific, as well as Google for Startups efforts to enable access to the tech ecosystem for diverse and underrepresented entrepreneurs and social innovators.

Prior to Google he was a Senior Director at Twitter responsible for user growth across many European and Emerging Markets, spent 8 years in journalism and social innovation at Axel Springer, as well as failing to be a successful entrepreneur.

Rowan serves on a number of advisory boards, including the nonprofit startup leadership network H2.co and as a trustee of the Trialogue Educational Trust and Club of Three. He is also a Fellow of the Bertelsmann German Israeli Young Leaders initiative. He holds an MA in History from Oriel College, Oxford. With roots in eight countries, including dual English and German citizenship, he lives with his wife and three children in Berlin.