Tjada D’Oyen McKenna is a humanitarian leader focused on alleviating poverty and building community around the world.     

McKenna is chief executive officer of Mercy Corps, leading a global team of humanitarians who support communities facing conflict, natural disasters, and poverty. Prior to this, she served as chief operating officer of a similar organization, CARE USA. She was also chief operating officer at Habitat for Humanity and worked in hunger relief roles with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. government, where she led Feed the Future, a global hunger and food security initiative.    

She serves on the advisory committee for the Harvard Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, received the Rising Star Award from the Harvard Business School Women’s Association, and is a past member of Harvard Clubs of New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. During her studies, she participated in the Kuumba Singers and the Black Student Association and was a founding editor of Revival, a journal of Black intellectual thought.   

A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, McKenna serves on the governing board of the U.S. Global Leadership Council, the Meridian Institute, and advisory boards of Foreign Policy for America and the U.S. government’s Development Finance Corporation.   

“My commitment to service is driven by the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to thrive and become their best selves. I lead a large and diverse organization that operates around the world and would bring my skills of communicating across cultures to build alumni connections across continents.”