Mr. Kiene, an Austrian national, was appointed to the Panel in 2004, and served as Chair from 2007 to 2009.
 
Most recently, he had served as the Panel Chairperson of Compliance Review at the Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism of the Inter-American Development Bank. Mr. Kiene has held leadership positions with the Ford Foundation, German Development Assistance and the United Nations. In 1994, Mr. Kiene became the founding Director of the Office of Evaluation of the United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP). He was the UN coordinator in Bangladesh, and later on the UN WFP representative in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Kiene’s focus has been on the design, implementation and assessment of sustainable development initiatives as well as on the governance structures and accountability required to ensure their success. His professional work and writings have dealt with issues of rural poverty and social services delivery; food security, agricultural and regional development; emergency support and humanitarian assistance; international trade and international relations.

Mr. Kiene has been involved in a number of professional organizations. He holds a Master’s of Science Degree and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.