Leading Corus' global practice area that includes rural economies, climate, and agricultural livelihoods and driving innovation and sustainability.

Responsible for Rural Economies and Agricultural Livelihoods within the Quality, Impact and Learning Division

Latitude Trade Co. is a vertically integrated social enterprise and B Corporation producing specialty cacao and craft chocolate at origin in Uganda. I am supporting the company in developing its strategic business lines of providing premium cocoa and chocolate products at origin in Uganda and for export.

Providing support to companies, non-profits and donors in the design and implementation of their international development and humanitarian programs.

Led a high-performing global management team, providing mentorship, development, and guidance to achieve organizational goals and foster public-private partnerships involving collaboration and financing to allow for speedier project completion. Oversaw and directed existing programs with emphasis on community empowerment, farmer livelihood and human rights. Planned and executed new policies and procedures to improve country engagement and technical areas of agricultural productivity, social development, and the environment. Managed portfolio financials, regularly reporting to the Board of Directors and other stakeholders. Builds and fostered a work environment recognized for openness, empowerment, and professional growth.• Aligned, guided, and inspired a management team of 28 professionals across diverse geographic and cultural contexts to drive international expansion.• Coordinated a portfolio of projects in excess of $60M, creating a lasting social impact and encouraging entrepreneurship.• Implemented and directed regional and global initiatives with 30+ companies, including the CocoaAction strategy, Cocoa and Forests Initiative, African Cocoa Initiative, and the Cocoa Livelihoods Program.• Drove a portfolio of flagship programs across 4 cocoa-producing regions across Brazil, Latin America and the Caribbean, fostering relationships between industry leaders, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and aid organizations such as the Jacobs Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Walmart Foundation, and United States Agency for International Development.

Oversaw and managed all aspect of country and program operations in the main cocoa producing countries of West and Central Africa (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon).• Led the process of country engagement and policy dialogue with national cocoa regulators and other government agencies and officials around a shared agenda for cocoa sustainability.• Managed portfolio of flagship programs in West and Central Africa fund by industry and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Walmart Foundation, the Jacobs Foundation, and the United States Agency for International Development among others.• Spearheaded the strategic and program design process for all new areas of program innovation and piloting including work on digital finance and digital farm services, women’s empowerment, property rights and land tenure reform, and medium-term financing for cocoa farm renovation and rehabilitation.

Developed innovative concepts and proposals to acquire increasing amounts of public and major foundation funding to include food commodities, monetization, and cash grants. Facilitated cross-functional collaboration with other business units to ensure accountability and oversight of public and privately funded portfolios. Led collaborative and integrated actions for positioning with public and major foundation donors and technical branding. Guided the acquisition of increased governmental, foundation, corporate and individual donor contributions for programming interventions. Drove innovative and effective technical designs allowing organizational programs to bring about measurable improvements.• Administered and guaranteed successful implementation of a diverse portfolio of international joint public-private food security and livelihood programs with an annual value of $200M+.• Created and effectively leveraged the talents of a multi-disciplinary team of 20+, guiding them to achieve success during a challenging reorganization.• Cultivated and developed donor relationships to obtain competitive and unsolicited donations, supporting food security and livelihood programs across 13+ developing countries.• Planned strategic, long-term initiatives to grow resilience and provide for an evidence-based programming approach.• Pursued and secured one-time and multi-year awards from United States Agency for International Development, United States Department of Agriculture, World Food Programme, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Led and oversaw the activities of the integrated food and nutrition team at World Vision United States, responsible for acquiring and managing United States Government and Corporate food security grants across the world--Asia, Africa, and Latin America.Total portfolio value was approximately $170 million per year in over 20 countries worldwide.

Led the Catholic Relief Services country office in Zambia, which included over 100 staff, 26 local NGO partners, and an annual budget of $40 million. Responsibilities included representation, fundraising and implementation of a diverse range of donors and programs in the areas of humanitarian assistance, food security, agriculture, economic development, and public health, especially HIV and AIDS, palliative care, and OVC components.

Deputy Regional Director responsible for overall management quality within the 8 country programs of Southern Africa. Responsibilities included financial, human, and in-kind resource management; budgeting; strategic staffing; and donor compliance.

Senior emergency coordinator for the Southern Africa Regional Office, responsible for coordinating overall response to the 2002-2004 food security crisis in Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Oversaw all aspects of country program management from strategic planning and operations to fundraising, and representation.

Led the CRS/Benin programming department,which included oversight of a Food Assisted Child Survival Program, an HIV Prevention Project, and a microfinance project. Provided management and coaching to 6 national and international program managers and supported the Country Representative in management of the country program. This involved an extensive amount of partner relationship management with local and international NGOs, national government ministries, and donor representatives.

Supported the extensive technical revision to USAID FFP Title II that transformed a long-standing maternal and child health program into a community-based child survival program, with a strong emphasis on health seeking behaviors of pregnant women, infant and young child feeding, as well as support to immunization coverage. Acted as the lead writer in revising the program proposal in response to donor's technical comments. The resulting award was in excess of $20 million in resources supporting community based programming over a five year period.