Co-Impact announces Awo Ablo as new President

Co-Impact is pleased to announce that international development and government affairs expert Awo Ablo is joining Co-Impact as the new President, Programs and Strategy. She will work alongside Founder and CEO Olivia Leland and the leadership team in place to guide Co-Impact through the next phase of its development.

Awo Ablo brings an extensive background in international development, rights and government affairs, highlighted by her work on policy and strategy at the HIV/AIDS Alliance, media development at BBC Media Action, and most recently, high level government advisory at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI). Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President at TBI, where she helped lead and guide the organization through growth.

On joining Co-Impact, Awo stated:

“I look forward to working in partnership with Olivia, another visionary founder, and Co-Impact’s strong leadership team. There are so many aspects of Co-Impact and this role that I find exciting. The thoughtful model of collaborative philanthropy for systems change. The fact we provide longer-term, larger funds and support to locally rooted organizations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. I look forward to getting to know and leading the wider teams across Co-Impact’s core programs and philanthropic partnerships. It feels like coming home.”

It comes at a time when Co-Impact continues to expand to reach more partners around the world and increase its impact. Founded in 2017, Co-Impact brings together local changemakers and funders from around the world to make health, education and economic systems stronger and more inclusive. Advancing gender equality and women’s leadership is central to this goal.

Co-Impact is well advanced in its ambitious goal of mobilising $1bn for its most recent Gender Fund, which combined with our Foundational Fund currently supports 127 initiatives across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Awo’s leadership will be instrumental in accelerating Co-Impact’s strategic growth, strengthening its ability to drive transformative change through partnership and innovation, and supporting program partners in scaling their impact, fostering deeper collaboration, and driving continuous learning.

Speaking about the announcement, Founder and CEO Olivia Leland said:

“I’m enormously excited about everything Awo will bring to our team, our partners, and our collective work at this key moment. She’s a remarkable leader, and her experience and insights will be invaluable in accelerating our strategic growth and deepening our impact. I’m thrilled that she’s joining us, and am excited for her to spend time with all of our partners and for the meaningful progress we will make together.”

Beyond her executive roles, Awo is a non-executive director at Oracle Corporation, the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, and TBI. In each, she contributes her global expertise, network, innovative approaches and drive for impact.

Awo has been selected because of her extensive leadership in working on global issues, having worked over 20 years in various philanthropic organizations and media houses. She will officially begin her role on March 3, 2025.

For further information, please reach out to [email protected].