Who's who in #globaldev: February 2017 appointments

ONE Campaign Gayle Smith will be taking over as president and CEO of the ONE Campaign in March. Smith comes to the global nonprofit fighting extreme poverty after leading the U.S. Agency for International Development during former President Barack Obama’s last years in office. President Donald Trump has yet to announce who will next lead the agency. “We are honoured Gayle will be our new boss,” said U2 lead singer and ONE co-founder Bono in a statement. “She is a strong, savvy leader with deep expertise and decades of experience working to change the conditions that allow extreme poverty to thrive.” Smith will succeed Adrian Lovett, who took on the leadership role in the interim following the death of ONE Campaign former CEO Michael Elliott in July 2016. Project Concern International Another former Obama appointee, Carrie Hessler-Radelet is taking on a new role following a long career at the Peace Corps. Early this month, international nonprofit Project Concern International named the former Peace Corps director as its new president and CEO. PCI’s former president and chief executive, George Guimaraes, stepped down at the end of 2016. “Finding real, innovative solutions to poverty is more important than ever, and I look forward to working with my new colleagues and our over 33,000 volunteers around the world to ensure we have an even greater impact in the years to come,” Hessler-Radelet said in a statement following the announcement. In a recent Devex interview, the incoming PCI chief shared three pieces of advice for development aid workers facing uncertainty amid a challenging foreign aid landscape. CARE Two former senior U.S. officials will also be transitioning to new roles in the nonprofit sector in the next two months. Heather Higginbottom, former deputy secretary of state for management and resources at the State Department, and Macon Phillips, who founded the Office of Digital Strategy during Obama’s time at the White House, will be CARE’s new chief operating officer and chief digital officer, respectively. Higginbottom, who officially takes on the job March 27, will oversee CARE’s global operations, including the implementation of CARE’s new strategic plan, CARE 2020. Phillips meanwhile will be in charge of shaping and promoting CARE’s branding to maintain existing donors and attract new ones, as well as aligning the charity’s traditional and digital businesses, according to a news release. Phillips starts April 1. IFAD Togo’s former prime minister, Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, is the new president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, a U.N. specialized agency and international financial institution whose main mandate is focused on eradicating rural poverty in developing countries. Houngbo, who beat seven other candidates vying for the position, said he knows firsthand of the harsh realities confronting those living in rural poverty and hopes to improve their lives. “The privilege of attaining high-quality education helped me develop a strong sense of responsibility towards improving the condition of those who have not had similar opportunities,” he remarked during the nomination process. He will take over the agency in April following the end of IFAD chief Kanayo Nwanze’s second term in March. Save the Children USA Dr. Jill Biden is Save the Children USA’s new chair of the board of trustees. Her appointment comes a few days after Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center, which educates and furthers Americans’ understanding on the U.S. Constitution, announced her husband and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden as its new board chair. As an educator and children’s advocate, Jill Biden understands the work the aid organization does for children around the world, said Save the Children USA President and CEO Carolyn Miles. The former second lady of the United States’ “boundless energy and expertise” will help the organization “reach every last child,” she added. Biden will be succeeding Anne Mulcahy, who has served as Save the Children USA’s chair since 2010. Oxfam America After more than two decades with CARE International, Abby Maxman is transitioning to a new role as Oxfam America president and CEO. Maxman, who is currently deputy secretary general of CARE in Geneva, will officially take the helm of the organization in June. She will succeed Ray Offenheiser, who has led the organization since 2006, but announced last September his plans to step down from the organization once his successor has been identified. “Abby is known for her passion, strategic thinking and track record of achievement through her career in the development sector,” Oxfam America Board Chair Joe Loughrey said. “This is a new chapter for Oxfam America, and I’m thrilled to have Abby leading the team into the future.” Bond Tamsyn Barton will officially lead the U.K. international development network Bond starting at the end of February. Barton, whose appointment was announced early this month, previously worked under the U.K. Department for International Development and the European Investment Bank. Bond Board Chair Tim Wainwright said her diverse experience will be “invaluable” in continuing Bond’s work. Barton, for her part, underscored the important role of civil society in the changing international development landscape and said she’s looking forward to helping increase the impact of their work. Malala Fund The Malala Fund has announced its new CEO: Farah Mohamed, who founded the organization G(irls)20 to empower and encourage a new generation of female leaders. Mohamed’s appointment comes four months after Meighan Stone announced her decision in October to step down from her position as president of the fund. Stone led the fund for three years, during which time it grew in size and reach and became an independent charity. Since 2014, the fund has invested more than $8.6 million in support of girls’ education in several Asian and African countries. IFPMA On Feb. 1, Thomas Cueni assumed his new role as director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations. Cueni is a known figure in the biopharmaceutical sector. Prior to his new position, he served as secretary general of Interpharma, an association of pharmaceutical research companies in Switzerland. Before officially joining IFPMA this month, Cueni also took part in the launch of Access Accelerated, a global partnership aimed at boosting developing countries’ access to noncommunicable disease prevention, treatment and care. Cueni succeeds Eduardo Pisani, who served in the position for seven years. GIIN The Global Impact Investing Network also announced this month its new board chair: Mark Grier, vice chairman at Prudential Financial Inc. GIIN sees Grier’s appointment as beneficial for the network, given Prudential’s leadership and decades of impact investing experience. “Mark’s extensive knowledge and expertise in financial services, coupled with his passion for impact investing, make him a great asset to the GIIN and to its members,” GIIN CEO and Co-Founder Amit Bouri said in a statement. “We are confident that Mark’s leadership will help to propel the GIIN and the impact investing movement forward.” GIIN founding board chair Antony Bugg-Levine will remain on the board of directors. VisionFund International VisionFund International, a microfinance subsidiary of global charity World Vision, welcomed two new additions to its board of directors on Feb. 28: Tiffany Huang, a senior partner at multinational law firm Baker & McKenzie, and Emma Osborne, who is currently working with Australian insurance company QBE. VisionFund International President and CEO Scott Brown is looking forward to seeing both women’s corporate experience and expertise in the institution’s expanding portfolio. “We are focused on reaching the world’s most vulnerable, targeting women in remote rural communities. Having purchased an MFI in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2016, with plans to increase further into fragile contexts, we have challenges ahead,” Brown said in a statement shared with Devex regarding the announcement. “Tiffany and Emma will be an integral part of turning these into opportunities to help families improve their livelihoods.” United Kingdom British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson announced Monday, Feb. 27, the appointment of Joanna Roper as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s special envoy for gender equality. Roper is acting director-general of the Department for International Trade at the British embassy in Beijing and current chair of FCO’s women’s association. Queen Elizabeth II awarded her the Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, or CMG, in 2016, for her years of service overseas. In her new role, Roper will be responsible for championing gender equality, particularly for women and girls, across FCO policies and programs. Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Feb. 28 to include new appointments by CARE, VisionFund International and the United Kingdom. Check out more insights and analysis for global development leaders like you, and sign up as an Executive Member to receive the information you need for your organization to thrive.