The COVID-19 pandemic, a new U.S. administration, and long-standing criticisms of a foreign assistance model dominated by U.S.-based organizations have coalesced into a moment of transformation for the global development community.
For Tessie San Martin, a former head of Plan International USA, it is also a moment of transition. She was recently appointed as CEO at FHI 360, a North Carolina-based nonprofit that took in more than $585 million from the U.S. government last year and implements programs in health, education, research, and a wide range of other development sectors.
Devex spoke with San Martin — who also co-chairs the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network — about what NGO leadership looks like at a time when many are calling on large organizations to hand over power to the communities they serve.