Richard Johnson - CEO, Healthy Brains Global Initiative (HGBI). Photo courtesy HGBI
Richard Johnson is a global leader in outcomes-based social reform and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Healthy Brains Global Initiative (HBGI).
Over the past 23 years, he has worked at the intersection of philanthropy, policy, and service delivery to reimagine how institutions respond to vulnerable communities, particularly those affected by mental health challenges and social exclusion.
His leadership is grounded in performance-linked funding and lived experience, offering governments and funders a model for responsive, accountable, and equitable systems.
This directly aligns with the 2025 East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN) Conference theme: “Agile Philanthropy: Adapting to Economic, Social, and Political Shifts.”
Education and Early International Experience (1986–1999)
Richard holds a BA in Philosophy and Psychology from Keble College, University of Oxford (1986–1989), and a Master’s in Applied Linguistics from the University of Exeter (1997–1998).
His academic grounding in both logic and language laid the foundation for a career that combines evidence with empathy.
Between 1990 and 1999, he worked in international education in Sudan, Northern Cyprus, Greece, and the UK.
These experiences shaped his lifelong commitment to equity, inclusion, and the elevation of local voice in service design.
Driving Employment Reform in the UK (2000–2012)
From 2000 to 2012, Richard established and led several private employment service providers contracted by the UK government.
These organizations supported around 1 million people, many with long-term unemployment and poor mental health, in finding and retaining jobs.
- 2000: Launched one of the UK’s first large-scale Employment Zones in a high-deprivation area.
- 2008–2015: Managed a £750 million outcomes-based contract through a network of 75 subcontractors.
- 2009–2012: Advised the UK Parliament’s Work and Pensions Select Committee on welfare-to-work policy.
This decade of leadership demonstrated how funding tied to real-world results can transform systems and lives.
Global Development Work and Impact Bonds (2012–2022)
From 2012 to 2022, Richard served as a Senior Consultant to the World Bank, leading outcome-focused programs across health and employment sectors:
- Afghanistan (2012–2021): Oversaw performance-based health contracting until the Taliban resurgence.
- Ethiopia (2016–2020): Designed employment pathways for refugees using outcomes-based models.
- Saudi Arabia (2015–2017): Developed job intermediation for long-term unemployed citizens.
As a Senior Advisor to the Global Fund (2020–2022), Richard helped align grant funding with delivery in:
- Nigeria: Incentivized informal vendors to expand malaria testing.
- Philippines: Increased TB reporting through private pharmacies.
- Niger, Botswana, Namibia: Linked HIV adherence support to health worker performance.
- DRC, South Sudan, Pakistan: Improved malaria net distribution efficiency.
In this period, Richard also chaired nine UK Social Impact Bonds on homelessness prevention, refugee support, and carer well-being.
Leading HBGI: Reimagining Mental Health Response (2022–Present)
Since 2022, Richard has led the Healthy Brains Global Initiative (HBGI)—a pioneering collaboration supported by the WHO, UNICEF, Wellcome Trust, Johnson & Johnson, and Otsuka.
HBGI seeks to revolutionize mental health responses by moving away from top-down models and instead focusing on user voice, local priorities, and measurable outcomes.
Flagship initiatives include:
- South Africa: Maternal mental health pathways co-designed by mothers.
- East Africa: Outcomes-based solutions for school-age girls exiting education due to pregnancy.
- India: Piloting performance-linked community mental health delivery.
- United States: Supporting city governments to assist unhoused individuals with mental health needs.
Under Richard’s leadership, HBGI is building a global movement for accountable mental health systems—one that values dignity, flexibility, and results.
Relevance to EAPN 2025: Building Trust, Sharing Power
Richard’s career exemplifies the agile, inclusive philanthropy that the 2025 EAPN Conference champions.
By placing control in the hands of users and communities and tying funding to outcomes that matter locally, he provides a compelling model for East African philanthropists navigating rapid political, economic, and social change.
His work is especially resonant for funders tackling youth unemployment, education gaps, and mental health, urgent, interlinked challenges across the region.
At EAPN 2025, Richard offers not just insight but a proven framework for building trust, sharing influence, and driving real-world change—the cornerstones of agile philanthropy in action.
