Thursday, November 13, 2014
Taking the Time to Learn in Transition: How the Ford Foundation Board Revamped the Traditional CEO Search
GEO recently convened a diverse group of foundation trustees and CEOs at the Ford Foundation in New York. This meeting was constructed as an opportunity for peers to share what matters and what is hard when it comes to leading productive change in philanthropy. This topic was quite fresh for Kofi Appenteng, chair of the CEO search committee and newly-elected board chair of the Ford Foundation. He shared reflections about how the Ford Foundation board approached the search that culminated in the appointment of Darren Walker as CEO. Kofi's story highlights many key points about the role of foundation boards and how boards can capitalize on opportunities such as an executive search to gain greater clarity about their own work. We're very grateful to Kofi for sharing his experience with us and for providing real leadership to the Ford Foundation and the field....