Michael Anderson is stepping down as Chief Executive Officer at CIFF, after two and a half years at the helm. His departure is part of a transition at the Foundation. This will include a review of CIFF’s mission, approach and focus areas, which will be led by a new Board of Trustees, a new Chairman and a new CEO.

Kate Hampton, CIFF’s Executive Director for Climate Change for the past seven years, will be appointed as the new CEO.

Lord Mark Malloch-Brown is stepping down as interim chairman and rotating off the CIFF board after five years as a trustee, Gerry Elias is also rotating off the board after serving nine years. At the same time, Mark Dybul is stepping down as a trustee after nearly three years’ service. In July 2015, Joy Phumaphi stepped down after nearly seven years as a trustee.

As part of the rotation of trustees, Ben Goldsmith and Masroor Siddiqui joined CIFF’s board in November 2015.

Graeme Sweeney continues as a trustee and will take over as chairman of the CIFF Board. The changes are expected to take place on 2 March.

“We are all enormously grateful to the outgoing trustees. They have served with dedication and generosity, with time and knowledge, and real passion for CIFF and its mission to improve children’s lives,” said Graeme Sweeney, CIFF’s incoming Chairman. “With the board’s support, Michael has successfully led CIFF through a period of significant growth and improved performance. Kate and the new board will continue to seek extraordinary returns for children”.

Kate Hampton is a well-respected and recognised leader in climate change. She has built a world-class climate portfolio at CIFF since 2009, which, among other things, supported the historic global climate agreement in Paris in December 2015.

Michael Anderson said:

“It has been a real pleasure working with CIFF staff and partners, and an honour to witness the impressive gains they’ve made to champion better lives for children. I am proud that we have built a stronger organisation, but there is still more to do. Now is the right time to hand over to Kate, who is an incredibly effective leader of social and political change. She is imaginative, energetic, and inspiring. She will bring real flair to CIFF’s work across the board.”

Michael came to CIFF with a background in law, business, and government. He was the UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on development issues, and is widely acknowledged as an influential architect of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which were agreed in September 2015.

During his tenure at CIFF, he led a restructuring to raise the foundation’s profile, increase its granting levels and strengthen the organisation’s capacity.  An international leader in nutrition, family planning, and global health, he saw CIFF launch more than twenty new partnerships, including the world’s first Development Impact Bond and the innovative Power of Nutrition fund.

In 2015, the value of grants disbursed rose to $220 million, up 165% from the $83 million annual disbursement when Michael arrived. Over the same period, CIFF has grown as an organisation – from 49 full time staff in 2013 to 90 staff today.

With an endowment of $4.4 billion, CIFF is the world’s biggest philanthropy that focuses specifically on improving children’s lives, today and in the future.