W. Gyude Moore is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD), where his research focuses on governance, infrastructure, and Africa’s engagement with external partners. From 2014 to 2018, he served as Liberia’s Minister of Public Works and previously held the position of Deputy Chief of Staff to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Born and raised in Maryland County, Liberia, Gyude fled the country during the civil war in 1994 and lived as a refugee in Tabou, Ivory Coast. He later returned to Liberia during a pause in the conflict and studied theology at the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2009, he returned permanently to Liberia to serve as a Scott Fellow and aide in the Office of the President.
Until December 2014, Gyude was Deputy Chief of Staff and Head of the President’s Delivery Unit (PDU), where he oversaw the implementation of Liberia’s Public Sector Investment Program. Under his leadership, the PDU tracked and accelerated the delivery of over $1 billion in infrastructure investments in roads, power, and ports. As Minister of Public Works, he managed the country’s largest project budget to address Liberia’s significant infrastructure challenges.
Gyude holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Berea College and a master’s in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Master of Science in Foreign Service program at Georgetown.