Statement by Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, on the Announcement of Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli As the New CEO of the ONE Campaign

On behalf of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Trustees and staff, I congratulate Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli on being named the next CEO of The ONE Campaign. Ndidi is a rare leader: incredibly smart, 100% committed, and uniquely capable of seeing who can help solve a problem and finding ways to connect with them.

Since she joined our Board in 2019, Ndidi’s shown that kind of leadership. In particular, her experience and expertise in food ecosystems, entrepreneurship, and social innovation, as well as her leadership in Africa, have been an asset to the Foundation and our partners. She has also demonstrated a deep commitment to the vulnerable people we serve; just last month, she joined Rockefeller team members in visiting the Benin Republic to advance our work in delivering locally sourced, nutritious school meals.

For those reasons and many more, Ndidi has shown that she is the right next leader for ONE, where she succeeds my former colleague and former U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Gayle Smith. The Foundation looks forward to continuing to work with Ndidi and The ONE Campaign in pursuing the reforms and investments needed to promote the well-being of humanity.

Dr. Rajiv J. Shah