Tjada D’Oyen McKenna has grounded her career in the simple belief that, no matter where someone is born, no matter where they live, they should be able to lead a thriving and successful life.

As Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Corps, Tjada leads a global team of over 6,000 humanitarians, who provide immediate relief to save lives and livelihoods and work to create transformational change reaching 37 million people in more than 40+ countries. Previously, she served as Chief Operating Officer of CARE, where she oversaw the organisation’s programming and global operations. Tjada has also served as Chief Operating Officer at Habitat for Humanity.

Tjada spent more than a decade working to end world hunger in roles with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. government. During the Obama administration, Tjada served as the Deputy Coordinator of Development for Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative, and the Assistant to the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Food Security in Washington, D.C.

Tjada also brings a passion for innovation to her work, developed early in her career, through various roles at McKinsey & Company, American Express, and General Electric.

In addition to leading Mercy Corps, Tjada sits on the Climate Migration Council and is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Tjada earned a B.A. from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. When she’s not working, Tjada enjoys reading, exercising, and spending time with her family.

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