Leadership

Executive Leadership Team

Sarah Bouchie

President and Chief Executive Officer

Sarah Bouchie became President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2024. In this role, she collaborates with Helen Keller Intl’s Board of Trustees, leadership team, and staff, along with partner organizations and global leaders, to advance Helen Keller’s mission around the world.

Shawn K. Baker, MPH

Chief Program Officer

Shawn Baker leads Helen Keller’s efforts to support our world’s most vulnerable communities through strengthening food and health systems using scientifically proven solutions that are feasible, scalable, and equitable.

Maura Fitzgerald

Chief People and Culture Officer

Maura Fitzgerald leads Helen Keller Intl’s People and Culture team, overseeing organizational design; learning and development; people operations; and talent management throughout the employee life cycle in support of our mission, values, and strategy. She partners with Helen Keller’s diverse senior leadership across the globe to cultivate a healthy and inclusive workplace culture where a positive employee experience ensures strong program outcomes.

Susan Kotcher

Chief External Relations Officer

Susan Kotcher is a seasoned senior leader, creative fundraising strategist, and external relations expert who has built, restructured, and led high-performing teams for major international development organizations, as well as for national nonprofits.

Patricia Manyari

Chief Financial Officer

Patricia Manyari oversees all fiscal and fiduciary responsibilities of the organization. In her role, she ensures that Helen Keller Intl has strong financial and accounting systems in place in order to provide transparency, accountability and efficiency in all financial transactions of the organization. Patricia started at Helen Keller in January 2012. She brings 23 years of experience in financial management of international nonprofit organizations, implementing sound accounting practices and high financial standards, both in the field and at the headquarters level; and has extensive experience in compliance with various governmental regulations.

Senior Management

Volkan Cakir

Regional Director, Eastern, Southern, and Central Africa

Volkan Cakir serves as Regional Director of Eastern, Southern, and Central Africa, providing management and program oversight to Helen Keller’s work in six countries – Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania – ensuring our programs operate with high standards to fulfill Helen Keller’s mission. He also provides management support to regional initiatives, such as the bouillon cube fortification. 

Fatoumata Diouf

Regional Director, West Africa

Fatoumata Diouf serves as Regional Director for West Africa, ensuring quality programming for children and families across seven countries – Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone and Senegal.

Rolf Klemm

Vice President, Nutrition

Rolf Klemm has more than 25 years of professional experience in international public health nutrition with expertise that spans nutrition efficacy and effectiveness research and program design, management, and evaluation.

Alix de Nicolay

Managing Director, Helen Keller Europe

Alix de Nicolay opened the independent, affiliated Helen Keller Europe Paris office in 1998 with the two-fold mission of raising funds and increasing visablity for Helen Keller Intl in Europe. This includes identifying and building relationships with European corporate, institutional, and foundation partners; raising awareness through events and media relations; and overseeing European funded programing including PlanVue, a French school-based program established in 2018 that provides vision care for low-income neighborhoods. Alix works closely with and reports to the Paris Board of Trustees.

Satish Raj Pandey

Regional Director, Asia

Satish Raj Pandey joined Helen Keller Intl in 2022 as Regional Director of Asia, supporting work in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, and the Philippines. He works closely with the Country Directors and Chiefs of Party to ensure organization-wide planning, decision making, and efficient implementation of program objectives and activities across Asia.

Ric Plaisance

Vice President, Information and Operations Systems

Ric Plaisance has worked with Helen Keller Intl since 2004. He is responsible for the development and management of systems that support the work of headquarter operations and Helen Keller’s international network of field offices.

Sobana Prasad, CPA

Vice President, Finance and Accounting

Sobana Prasad manages Helen Keller Int’s day-to-day finance and accounting operations for all locations in the United States, Africa, and Asia. This includes supervising financial accounting and reporting of all projects and grants and ensuring compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, International Financial Reporting Standards, Cost Accounting Standards, Uniform Guidance, regulatory requirements, and government/private grant-funding mandates.

Dr. Angela Weaver

Vice President, Neglected Tropical Diseases

Dr. Angela Weaver is a public health professional with over 20 years of experience supporting, developing, and leading domestic and international health programs and initiatives. She provides technical oversight and strategic leadership for Helen Keller Intl’s neglected tropical disease program.