Francis Gurry

Francis Gurry

Francis Gurry led WIPO as Director General from October 1, 2008 through September 2020.

Under his leadership, WIPO addressed major challenges. These included managing the stress on the international patent and copyright systems produced by rapid technological change, by globalization and increased demand; reducing the knowledge gap between developed and developing countries; and ensuring that the intellectual property (IP) system serves its fundamental purpose of encouraging creativity and innovation in all countries.