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World Renew Announces Program Chief

January 3, 2024

World Renew is pleased to announce the placement of Ruairidh Waddell as chief program and impact officer on the organization’s Global Executive Team. Waddell has more than two decades of experience in international development, disaster response, and justice programming in Africa and Asia, including regional responsibilities in Zambia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, and other locations.

“The engagement of a chief program and impact officer as part of a broader executive team is a significant step forward in the growth of World Renew,” Waddell said. “I am hugely excited to be trusted with this opportunity. I am bringing my 20 years of experience, 10 years with World Renew, across various levels of programming and different regional contexts to the fore as we look to deliver on the organization’s objectives.”

Waddell began working with World Renew in 2014 in Zambia, where he progressed to the role of country director. In 2019 he was promoted to oversight of the organization’s Asia regional offices, which includes complex, varied work in four countries. Waddell brings this extensive experience in program development, justice, sustainable livelihoods, food security, and community development to his new position as chief program and impact officer.

Waddell also holds a master’s degree in international development from Australia’s Deakin University and a bachelor’s degree in law from Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Waddell is a member of World Renew’s executive group, which manages the international, domestic, and internal systems of the organization’s development, disaster response, and justice ministries with 66 local partner groups in 29 countries. The Global Executive Team reports to World Renew’s executive directors, Carol Bremer-Bennett (who oversees the U.S. organization) and Jamie McIntosh (who oversees the Canadian organization).

“Ru’s visionary, innovative, and collaborative leadership exemplifies World Renew’s values of faith, flourishing, effectiveness, and stewardship,” said Bremer-Bennett. “He has contributed to many strategic initiatives, served on numerous global committees, and played a lead role in co-contributing to the creation of our current plans and strategies. Ru embodies commitment to our global mission.”

For more information, contact U.S. media contact Beth DeGraff at 800-552-7972 or email [email protected], or visit worldrenew.net.

World Renew is a faith-based, nongovernmental organization specializing in disaster response, community development, and justice education since 1962. World Renew’s interventions help people in extreme poverty, disaster, and injustice change their stories for good in communities around the world.