FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – MARCH 16, 2022
The ACDI/VOCA Board of Directors approved a plan of succession for the chief executive officer role, as current CEO Charles J. Hall announced his intention to step back to a board seat after four years at the helm of the Washington, D.C.-based international development nonprofit. Sylvia J. Megret, currently ACDI/VOCA President & Chief Operating Officer, will assume the title and role of President & Chief Executive Officer of ACDI/VOCA on April 16, 2022. Mr. Hall will remain on the ACDI/VOCA Group boards of directors, which also govern affiliate organizations Tanager and AV Ventures.
“The ACDI/VOCA Board has thanked CJ Hall for his outstanding leadership of the organization during the past four years. He has transformed the relationship between ACDI/VOCA and its affiliated companies and is stepping down as CEO with the organization well-positioned to achieve its mission and on a solid foundation for future growth. The Board also recognized the crucial role Sylvia plays with us when we voted to pass the title of president to her a year ago. She has worked alongside CJ for more than four years, making this transition a clear, optimal choice for the future of ACDI/VOCA, Tanager, and AV Ventures. We welcome CJ’s continued engagement as a board member and look forward to this exciting new stage for ACDI/VOCA Group.”
– Board Chair Timothy Beans
Ms. Megret joined ACDI/VOCA in December 2016 as chief operating officer and served as interim CEO from December 2017 to June 2018, prior to Mr. Hall’s joining as CEO. She currently chairs the Board of Directors of the Fundación ACDI/VOCA LA affiliated nonprofit in Colombia and is a board member and chair of the upcoming annual conference for the Society of International Development Washington Chapter (SID-W). Prior to joining ACDI/VOCA, Ms. Megret held a number of senior leadership positions in the international development field.
“My confidence in this team, this organization and our work is unwavering. Standing firmly in our core values with our vision as the North Star, I see a future full of synergy, collaboration, focus, and a broader, even more sustainable impact for ACDI/VOCA. I am proud and humbled to support this incredible group of professionals in doing such important work. CJ’s leadership and support over the last four years has been a gift, and I am delighted he will be staying on as a member of our board.”
– Sylvia Megret
Mr. Hall assumed executive leadership of ACDI/VOCA in June 2018 following four years in senior presidential appointments at the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank). His career prior included serving as chief executive of a London-based nonprofit operating in sub-Saharan Africa, founding a food manufacturing business in the United Kingdom with his wife, and nine years as an emerging markets corporate finance banker with J.P. Morgan and Company. The first 15 years of his career were spent in U.S. Government service, first as a U.S. naval officer and subsequently as a Foreign Service officer with the Department of State.
“The past four years as CEO have been among the most rewarding of my career. At ACDI/VOCA, I have had the opportunity to work with as impressive a group of smart, hard-working, and dedicated individuals as I have ever encountered. While I look forward to continuing to engage as a board member, this is an opportune time for me to pass the leadership baton to Sylvia, who I know will lead us into a bright future. Thanks to the conscientious, dedicated, and thoughtful work of our staff, ACDI/VOCA is healthy, financially strong, and in a great position to begin this next chapter under Sylvia’s leadership.”
– CJ Hall
ACDI/VOCA is a Washington, D.C.-based global development design and delivery partner that has implemented effective economic and social development projects in nearly 150 countries since 1963. ACDI/VOCA engages governments, private companies, financial institutions, and communities in the design and execution of projects and employs more than 1,000 people globally. ACDI/VOCA has also mobilized skilled U.S. volunteers to assist farmers, NGOs, cooperatives, businesses, and universities overseas for 50 years.
