Fatima Kassam-Rice
Deputy Executive Director
- Joined HD in 2025 as Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer
- Inaugural Global Coordinator for Poverty Elimination for the Ismaili Community, leading economic inclusion programmes in 21 countries, with a focus on post-conflict and climate-affected communities in Central and South Asia
- Founding team of the African Risk Capacity, a specialized agency of the African Union, with support from the UN World Food Programme, to manage sovereign climate and pandemic risks
- Former Deputy Director of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s California Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth to address intransigent issues and industry changes in the California economy
- Extensive governmental affairs experience in the United States spanning the Federal Reserve Bank, port and airport security, coastal and waterfront real estate, including tidelands and public trust lands, community relations and campaign management
- Holds a dual M.A. in International Economics and International Development from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a dual B.A. in Economics and French Post-Colonial Studies from Emory University. Completed the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs (San Francisco)