New York, NY, Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Helen Keller Intl, a global health organization ensuring that millions of children and family members around the world have access to good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, has announced Sarah Bouchie as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2024.
Bouchie brings nearly three decades of international development leadership, with a focus on children and social justice. She has sat at both sides of the table – as an implementer and advocate with prominent global nonprofits and as a leader of the philanthropic investments that shape humanitarian and development impact – positioning her to lead Helen Keller into the future. She will be based in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Bouchie joins Helen Keller most recently from the LEGO Foundation. As Senior Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, she led the Foundation’s global efforts to promote inclusive, high-quality education and early childhood development, particularly for children living in vulnerable and crisis situations.
“It is an enormous honor to lead an organization that builds on the rich legacy Helen Keller started and is grounded in evidence, social justice, and equity. It’s an extraordinary time in the world, one that demands of all of us to envision a world in which every child and every family can discover their potential,” said Bouchie. “As I get to know the organization, I see the people behind the work – staff, trustees, partners, and donors – whose warmth and empathy truly shine, and I am excited for the future and momentum we can build together.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Sarah Bouchie as our new President and CEO,” said Bill Toppeta, Chair, Helen Keller Board of Trustees. “We’ve experienced decades of progress, helping millions of people around the world create greater health for themselves and their families. And yet, there’s so much more we need to do. With Sarah at the helm, we are poised to accelerate, expand, and partner with even more families around the world.”
Prior to joining the LEGO Foundation, Bouchie led institutional fundraising, advocacy, and program efforts for organizations including ChildFund International, CARE USA, Save the Children, and the Aga Khan Foundation.
“We are fortunate to have attracted Sarah’s energy, enthusiasm, and global experience. Her commitment to building a better world for all families is unwavering, and Sarah’s combination of leadership and warmth are exactly what is needed in these times,” said Henry Barkhorn, Helen Keller’s Vice Chair and Chair of the CEO Search Committee.
Bouchie will succeed Kathy Spahn, who served as Helen Keller Intl’s President and CEO for the past 19 years. Spahn has grown the organization’s budget nearly five-fold to more than $100 million, serving more than 80 million children and family members a year. She transformed Helen Keller from being “the vision people” to a global advocate for children and families’ nutrition, sight, and health.
About Helen Keller Intl
Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities that are striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, the organization helps millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, Helen Keller Intl helps to ensure every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential. Helen Keller is a leader in providing vitamin A, named a top charity by GiveWell, and helped lead the effort to eliminate blinding trachoma, the very disease that blinded Helen Keller’s teacher Anne Sullivan, as a public health problem in Mali. Learn more at HelenKellerIntl.org.
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