Elizabeth Welch

Lizz became our CEO in January 2019, after spending five years as COO, when she led the organization through a period of growth, deploying her skills around management, business development leadership, and a commitment to financial integrity. “iDE brings the best in development, combining impact and value for money with an entrepreneurial approach that powers the rural poor.” A expert on gender-empowerment, monitoring and evaluation, finance, and economic growth, Lizz has more than 20 years of experience with designing solutions for challenging markets in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Lizz speaks French and Moroccan Arabic, and has a working knowledge of Spanish. She has travelled and worked in more than 22 countries. As a certified high-performance coach, Lizz specializes in leading innovative multi-cultural teams, seeking to generate financial growth and impact effectiveness. She holds a master’s degree with a specialization in international non-profit management from Rutgers University and a BA in history and global development studies from Grinnell College. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, and has been consistently recognized for her passionate commitment to developing those she works with. In addition to serving as chair of the board for the Posner Center for International Development, she also serves on the iDE UK Board of Trustees, and on the boards dedicated to the Hydrologic social enterprise, Hilltribe Organics (a Thai social enterprise), the iDE International Foundation in Switzerland, and iDE Ghana.