President and CEO Pierre Ferrari to retire after 12 years leading the international development organization
LITTLE ROCK, AR – International development organization, Heifer International, today announced a leadership transition that will see President and CEO Pierre Ferrari leave the organization in September 2022. Ferrari, a business innovator, investor and entrepreneur, will retire at the end of September, with recruitment of a new leader underway.
“Over the last 12 years, Pierre and the team have transformed Heifer into a leading international development organization, partnering with communities around the world to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way”, said Randi Hedin, Chair of Heifer International’s Board of Directors.
Hedin added: “Through high quality programs focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, millions of people around the world are building food and farming businesses and reaching a living income. They are investing with Heifer in infrastructure that enables farmers to get their products to market, generating income and jobs for the long-term. We are grateful for Pierre’s leadership and are working closely with him and the team as he passes on the baton.”
Heifer’s programs focus on supporting farmers and local food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide Sustainable Living Income, holding true to the organization’s core approach of local solutions to local problems.
Under Ferrari’s leadership, Heifer has expanded its animal gifting model to focus on community transformation through scale, permanence of impact and partnerships. The organization works with more than one million families every year, with many more benefiting from livestock, services and expertise passed on by program participants.
In addition to its work with farmers and cooperatives, Heifer International continues to invest in farmer-focused infrastructure, enabling farmers to capture more of the value in production processes, access new markets and increase their incomes. Under Ferrari’s leadership, the organization set up an impact investing division to increase access to affordable financing for farmers and invest in farmer-focused infrastructure. Investments include solar-powered milk cooling systems in Africa that reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions, refrigerated transportation in Asia that enables farmers to deliver safe, healthy products to markets, and fuel-efficient dryers that help farmers in the Americas produce spices for export markets, while protecting indigenous forests.
“Leading Heifer International is truly an honor,” said Pierre Ferrari. “I am inspired by the millions of people we work with, and our incredible staff around the world, who are committed to sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty. Today, with global hunger and poverty on the rise, the organization’s life-changing work is needed now, more than ever, and I look forward to the growth and innovation new leadership will bring.”
Ferrari and Hedin said they are making the announcement today to ensure a smooth leadership transition. A global search for a new CEO will begin shortly, with the new leader driving a strategy that will see an additional 10 million people reach Sustainable Living Income by 2030.
ABOUT HEIFER INTERNATIONAL
Since 1944, Heifer International has worked with more than 39 million families around the world to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way. Working with rural communities in 20 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the United States, Heifer International supports farmers and local food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide a living income. For information, visit https://www.heifer.org.
