Nonprofits/Philanthropy: ISAM GHANIM

Ghanim is new to the president and CEO role, but he’s a familiar face at ChildFund International, having previously served as executive vice president for programs at the global nonprofit formerly known as Christian Children’s Fund.

The ninth top executive in ChildFund International’s 84-year history, he succeeds Anne Lynam Goddard, who retired in May after a 15-year tenure.

Born and raised in central Sudan, Ghanim has a master’s degree from the University of Khartoum. His international development career started at CARE Sudan, where he worked for more than two decades in several countries. Before returning to ChildFund, he was president of Search for Common Ground, an international nongovernmental organization devoted to peacebuilding.

Founded on the principle of person-to-person child sponsorship, ChildFund supported 16.2 million children and family members with programs and services in 24 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas and Eastern Europe last year. A new 10-year strategy aims to reach 100 million children by 2030.

Recently, ChildFund has tried to help Ukrainian families impacted by the Russian invasion by working with local partners in that country, and its newest programming aims to keep children safe from online sexual abuse and exploitation.