Dr Rutenberg has been involved in behavioural and program research on HIV and AIDS and reproductive health for more than 30 years. As vice president and director of the Population Council's HIV and AIDS program, she provided strategic direction and technical oversight for a diverse portfolio of biomedical, behavioural, and applied program research devoted to understanding and slowing the spread of the HIV epidemic and mitigating its impact in highly affected countries. ​ Dr Rutenberg was Director of the Population Council’s Horizons Program, which used operations research to improve the response to the HIV epidemic, and Deputy Director of the Population Council’s Africa Operations Research and Technical Assistance project on reproductive health, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Before joining the Council, Dr. Rutenberg was a senior research scientist with The Futures Group International (now Palladium), and a demographic specialist with the Demographic and Health Surveys Program. Dr. Rutenberg currently works with global development agencies on strategies, evaluations, and resource mobilisation to improve the impact and equity of programs. ​ Dr. Rutenberg serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the International AIDS Society, and is a Senior Advisor to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. She has published widely on topics including fertility and contraceptive use, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, integration of HIV and reproductive health services, and expanding access to HIV services for marginalized populations. She received her PhD in sociology and demography from Princeton University in 1993.

Sara Savastano is the Director of Research and Impact Assessment (RIA) Division of the Strategy and Knowledge Department at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Prior to her current appointment, she was Senior Economist at the World Bank with the Development Economic Group. From 2008 to 2016 Sara was Assistant Professor in Economics at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Before the University she served as an Economist at the Public Investment Evaluation Unit of the Italian Ministry of Finance. She is secretary general of ICABR, the International Consortium on Applied Bioeconomy Research. Her research focuses on land policies and institutions, rural development, agriculture efficiency and productivity, technology adoption. She has been consultant to FAO, World Bank, IFPRI, and other public and private institutions. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Rome Tor Vergata.