Growing up in western Massachusetts, Shanna Marzilli knew few women who ran boardrooms and led multinational organizations. As a first-generation college student herself, she didn’t necessarily have nearby role models she could emulate. So it wasn’t always easy to want to chart a new path for herself.
“I think I have the experience a lot of young women have, which is, you know, being put down a little bit if you're ambitious, if you had big goals for yourself,” Marzilli told Devex in a recent interview.
Marzilli persevered and built a strong career in the private sector and in the world of nonprofits. She became a leader. And last month, she reached the top, after Plan International USA, an NGO focused on youth and gender equality, announced her as their new president and CEO.