Mercy Corps Names Tjada D'Oyen McKenna Chief Executive Officer

McKenna brings proven leadership in humanitarian relief and international development

PORTLAND, OR — The Board of Directors of Mercy Corps today named Tjada D’Oyen McKenna as the global organization’s Chief Executive Officer. McKenna will assume leadership at Mercy Corps on October 15, 2020.

“Mercy Corps is rightly recognized around the globe for innovative, bold responses to the world’s toughest challenges,” says McKenna. “It’s an honor to join this organization and in particular this remarkable global team of nearly 6,000 innovative leaders.”

Tjada D’Oyen McKenna previously served as the Chief Operating Officer for two international nonprofits: CARE and Habitat for Humanity International. McKenna also spent more than a decade in roles with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. government, specializing in food security and working to end world hunger. McKenna began her career in the corporate sector in various roles at McKinsey & Company, American Express and GE. She earned a B.A. from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and has served on both national and local nonprofit boards.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Tjada,” says Lucy Lee Helm, co-chair of the CEO selection committee of the Board of Directors. “She has a proven track record of executive leadership, and in forging the kind of smart, comprehensive solutions that Mercy Corps champions. With stellar experience encompassing humanitarian and international development, at leading companies in the private sector and the highest levels of government, she’s an exceptional leader for Mercy Corps’ next chapter.”

The new CEO will oversee a global team of nearly 6,000 in over 40 countries. Mercy Corps reaches more than 29 million people annually, working with local changemakers, global innovators and people most affected by crises, to help fragile communities break the cycle of poverty, rebuild after disaster and forge new paths to prosperity in the face of injustice, instability and climate change.