Sarab Kochhar, Ph.D.

Dr. Sarab Kochhar is a Senior Communications Officer leading communications for South and Southeast Asia at the Gates Foundation. As a key member of the Global Communications team, she is based in Seattle, USA, where she works to shape and amplify the foundation’s mission in the region, engaging with stakeholders across governments, media and the development sector to drive impactful narratives. With a Ph.D. in communications and business strategy, Sarab brings a wealth of expertise in reputation management, strategic communications and thought leadership. Before joining the foundation, she worked extensively with state governments across India and private sector entities across Southeast Asia, leading communications efforts in diverse sectors such as sports, finance, technology, health and culture. Her global career includes roles at leading consulting firms in Bangalore, New York and Washington, D.C., as well as at Kaiser Permanente in California, where she focused on corporate reputation, behavioral science in communications and public affairs.

Sarab is an active thought leader in the communications field, serving on the Institute for Public Relations’ Behavioral Science Research Center board and the University of Oregon’s Strategic Communication Leadership Network. She has contributed to advancing the profession through book chapters, academic conference papers and co-authoring a book on Global and Multicultural Public Relations, published by Wiley Blackwell. Beyond her professional commitments, Sarab is deeply involved in community service in the Pacific Northwest, working with nonprofit organizations to support social impact initiatives.