Mercy Corps Announces Beth deHamel as Interim CEO

Mercy Corps’ CFO of seven years steps into interim CEO role; Board of Directors to appoint CEO search committee this week 

Portland, Ore. – The global organization Mercy Corps announced Beth deHamel as its interim Chief Executive Officer following the resignation of former CEO Neal Keny-Guyer last week. deHamel currently serves as Mercy Corps’ Chief Financial Officer.

“Beth deHamel has served Mercy Corps for seven years with excellent leadership, wise counsel and outstanding commitment to the organization’s mission,” says Gisel Kordestani, Mercy Corps Board Co-Chair. “We believe she is the right interim leader to guide Mercy Corps as the organization continues its critical, lifesaving work in more than 40 countries around the world.”

deHamel joined Mercy Corps in 2012 as Chief Financial Officer to oversee the organization’s global financial position and ensure financial efficiency and stability. In addition to her CFO responsibilities, Beth sits on the boards of Mercy Corps Ventures, the organization’s social impact investing arm, the employee 403b retirement program and two microfinance banks established by Mercy Corps in Bosnia and Kosovo. She also provides ongoing advice and counsel for a microinsurance company founded by Mercy Corps.

Before joining Mercy Corps, deHamel served as CFO of the Portland-area public transit agency, TriMet. Prior to that, she was an investment banker on Wall Street focused on financing large U.S. infrastructure projects like water, power and transportation. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics and public policy from Duke University, and a master’s in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School.