Mr. Lu Mai joined CDRF and served as Deputy Secretary General in 1998, and then as Secretary General from 1999 to 2019. He was Vice Chairman of CDRF during 2017-2021. Before joining CDRF, Mr. Lu worked for a number of research institutions such as the Development Research Centre of the State Council of China (DRC), Harvard University, and the Research Centre for Rural Development of the State Council of China.Since he joined CDRF, it has made significant progress in international dialogues, executive training, policy research and social programs. Since 2000, CDRF organises China Development Forum (CDF) which is now renowned as a high-level forum serving as an important platform of dialogue for the Chinese government, global businesses, academia, and international organisations.Under his initiative, CDRF has carried out arrays of child development projects, including the "School Nutrition Improvement Initiative", "One Village One Preschool (OVOP) Program", "ChinaREACH" and "For the Future: Vocational Education Enhancement Project". Among these, the OVOP Program won the World Innovation in Education Summit (WISE) World Education Innovation Project Award 2018. In 2020, at his initiative, CDRF, together with corporate partners, launched the Child Development Fund to support scientific research and experimental work in the field of child development. In March 2024, CDRF launched program “A Bright Start for Every Child: Home Visiting Action Plan for 100,000 Rural Infants and Toddlers. It is widely supported by individuals and companies. In addition, Mr. Lu coordinated the report China Human Development Report 2005 which was awarded the UNDP’s 2007 Human Development Award for Excellence in Policy Analysis and Influence.Mr Lu received several awards due to his contribution in charitable activities and poverty alleviation. In 2011, LGOPAD Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development (of the State Council) named Mr. Lu as one of the “National Pioneers in Poverty Alleviation and Development”. In 2021, he was named “National Pioneers in the Care and Protection of Rural Left-behind Children and Children in Difficult Circumstances”. Mr. Lu was also named “CCTV Charitable Person of the Year” in 2018. In 2020, he received the 15th Compassion Award. He served as the Honorary Co-Chairpersons of the China-Italy Philanthropy Forum since 2019. In 2021, he was awarded the Order of the Star of Italy. In 2023, he was received the first “Sun Shangqing Achievement Award for Developing Knowledge Research and Exchange”. In addition, many of his research reports were awarded as DRC Outstanding Research Report.Mr. Lu earned his MPA from Harvard Kennedy School and B.A. in economics from Beijing College of Economics. He was visiting scholar at MIT and Columbia Business School.