Devex Pro Weekender: USAID deputy chief leaves, and French Gates gets political

Congrats — you’ve made it to August! We’re heading into a quiet period now when the conference calendar traditionally winds down before the madness of September. One of the few big events that has been an August mainstay for years is World Water Week — the key annual conference for the water and sanitation sector. But Stockholm International Water Institute, which runs it, is shutting down its aid activities amid financial pressures and governance changes. I understand that around two-thirds of its 90 employees will be made redundant. However, the team that organizes World Water Week will remain intact for now and the plan is that the event will continue, although there are questions around how it will be organized. A spokesperson tells me that this year’s World Water Week, which starts Aug. 25, is going ahead as normal. Devex is taking a company-wide break next week. Instead of our usual roster of newsletters, we’ll be sending daily deep dives on U.K. aid, elections, development finance, and more. Make sure you’re signed up to the Newswire to get them in your inbox. I’ll be back with the next edition of the Weekender on Aug. 18. Coming up: Our next Pro event is an “ask me anything” with USAID acquisition and assistance expert Chuck Pope. Also in today’s edition: USAID’s deputy administrator departs; Melinda French Gates talks trust-based giving; the president of the biggest INGO in the U.S. steps down; the World Bank gets its first digital VP; and one of the U.K.’s biggest development contractors shuts up shop. Best keep reading! Bits and pieces Vega’s new gig. Dennis Vega, acting deputy administrator of USAID, has left the agency after nearly three and a half years in senior leadership roles, including chief of staff. Vega last week took over as president and CEO of Pact, the D.C.-based INGO with an annual income of around $160 million. In a farewell post on X, USAID Administrator Samantha Power said Vega “did it all — from expanding our private sector work to driving reforms that make @USAID more responsive to today's crises. Indispensable leader, partner & friend for life.” Vega had been acting as the agency’s second-in-command for only three months, alongside Isobel Coleman. Assistant administrator Michele Sumilas will take over his role, also on an acting basis. Let’s get political. Melinda French Gates walked away from the Gates Foundation a few months ago — and she’s now carving her own path in philanthropy. In an interview with The New York Times, French Gates said she intends to continue with the data-driven model of philanthropy that the Gates Foundation is known for — but with a shift toward the trust-based model that the foundation has so far shied away from. “I don’t intend to build up a large organization and I do believe that there are many, many partners on the ground who do incredible work but often don’t get funded,” she said. She might even work with trust-based trailblazer MacKenzie Scott in the future, she added: “She certainly has had an effect on me in philanthropy, and I hope I’ve had an effect on her.” French Gates also discussed entering the political fray for the first time, having endorsed Joe Biden in June. She described herself as a centrist and said she has voted for both parties over the years, but that “if there was a candidate who is against women’s rights and says terrible things about women, there is no way I could vote for that person.” Morality school. Remember Rutger Bregman, the Dutch historian, who has written two New York Times bestsellers and went a bit viral at Davos five years ago for lambasting its wealthy attendees over taxes? Now, he’s launching a new endeavor — the School for Moral Ambition, which aims to get the world’s “most ambitious people” working on the “most important global problems,” and turn “moral ambition” into a popular lifestyle, “just like mindfulness or minimalism.” He’s recently run a pilot program in his native Netherlands but is now moving to New York to launch the real deal next year. Sound interesting? He’s hiring a CEO — you’ve got just under two weeks to apply. Day off. The British Red Cross has been trialing a four-day workweek for around a month now. It’s the latest U.K. NGO to give it a shot, with environmental campaign group Global Witness also launching a trial. The Red Cross trial will last six months in total and involves 200 staff members — about 5% of its total workforce — from both front line and supporting teams. Graham Kent, director of technology, wrote in a LinkedIn post: “I truly honestly believe that this is the future of work (for our profession). I believe that in aggregate, we will achieve the same level of output and continuity as with a 5 day week.” He acknowledged that there are “a myriad of questions and blockers … and clearly we're working through these,” adding that: “We'll be measuring the success of this in terms of staff engagement, wellbeing (and yes continuity of output).” Watch this space for the results. NGOs are increasingly considering the move to a shorter week, in part as an extra benefit to attract talent and improve staff satisfaction at a time when room for salary growth is often limited. Interested in trying it at your organization? Here are some lessons to make it a success. ✉️ Do you have insights into any of this week’s bits and pieces? Let me know by replying to this email. Moving on Sangbu Kim has been appointed as the World Bank’s first vice president for digital transformation. According to a release, Kim will guide the bank’s efforts “to establish the foundations of a digital economy, build and enhance digital and data infrastructure, ensure cybersecurity and data privacy for institutions, businesses, and citizens, and advance digital government services.” Kim previously worked for Google, where he was director of government affairs in the Asia-Pacific region. Thomas Tighe, who has led Direct Relief as president and CEO for 24 years, will be leaving the organization at the end of the year. Direct Relief was recently revealed as the largest U.S. INGO by revenue in a Devex special report. The search to find Tighe’s successor is now underway. Aurélia Nguyen has been appointed deputy CEO of CEPI. Nguyen comes from Gavi, where she was managing director of the COVAX facility. Malala Fund has hired Nabila Aguele as chief executive, Nigeria, and Gayatri Patel as chief of external affairs. Aguele previously served as special adviser to Nigeria’s minister of finance, while Patel was vice president of advocacy and external relations at the Women’s Refugee Commission. Beatriz Grinsztejn of Brazil is the new president of the International AIDS Society. IAS presidents serve for two years each. Grinsztejn will be succeeded in 2026 by Kenneth Ngure from Kenya. Joseph Oliveros has been promoted to global cash lead at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Gaby Arenas de Meneses and Fredrik Galtung have joined Catalyst 2030, the social impact partnership, as co-chief facilitators. Did we miss one? Is there a change on the horizon? Let us know at devexpro@devex.com. Pro must reads Catch up on some of the top Pro stories of the past week. • Crown Agents shuts down. • USAID unveils a new digital policy to drive the next decade. • Meet the candidates for WHO's top job in Africa. • Lessons from the $100B target can shape the next climate finance goal. Jobs of the week Looking for your next job? Devex Talent Solutions is currently seeking applications for these executive-level opportunities: Organization: African Development Bank. Role: Director, Gender, Women and Civil Society. Location: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Requirements: Relevant postgraduate degree; at least 10 years of experience, including experience of the commercial or investment banking system in Africa; knowledge of the practices of major bilateral and multilateral partner development agencies. Deadline: Aug. 30. Apply via the Devex job board. Organization: Food for the Hungry. Role: Chief Growth Officer. Location: Phoenix, Arizona or Washington, D.C., USA. Requirements: Alignment with the organization’s Christian beliefs; at least 12 years of development and/or fundraising experience, including at least eight in a senior leadership role; and experience leading subscriptions-based programs to drive revenue. Deadline: Sept. 27. Apply via the Devex job board. Organization: The Asia Foundation Role: Senior Director of Environment and Climate Action Location: U.S. and Asia-Pacific Requirements: Relevant graduate degree; 10 years of professional experience in environment and climate change-related issues; technical expertise and experience in securing funding from a diverse set of donors. Deadline: Sept. 5 Apply: Via the Devex job board, for the U.S position or Asia-Pacific position.