As you likely know, we have been recruiting for a new Senior VP of Programs; after a robust search involving a slate of very qualified candidates, we are delighted to announce that on December 4, Mr. Barak Bruerd joined the Living Water community in this critical role.
Barak (pronounced like “Derek” but with a “B”) grew up as a missionary kid in tribal communities across South America, Africa, and the Pacific, and has spent much of his professional career living and working internationally in places like Cambodia and Uganda.
For more than a decade Barak led international programs at Blood:Water, where he built a robust Programs department, designing and executing WASH and HIV programs across 11 African countries. He subsequently served as East Africa Regional Director at OneWorld Health, where he managed a network of healthcare facilities, built a healthy organizational culture, and generated 60% of the OWH’s revenue from the Programs side of the organization. Most recently, he has been the Senior Principal for Strategic Alliances at Compassion International, developing that organization’s network of active programmatic partnerships in the areas of WASH, food security, and environmental stewardship.
Barak holds degrees in Environmental Science and Water Resources, and is currently completing an MBA in Organizational Management. He has also completed an impressive list of certifications, including in agile project management, design thinking, and strategic alliance management. In fact, he first got to know Living Water when he got certified in water well drilling through our training program nearly 20 years ago!
Over the coming weeks and months, Jonathan will be working closely with Barak as he steps into leadership roles with the Programs Leadership Team and Programs Global Service Team. This will enable Jonathan to step more fully into the COO role, focusing on culture, strategy, change, and the overall business architecture of Living Water.
Barak has expressed his excitement in joining Living Water, and getting to know each of you and the work you do over the coming months. Please join us in welcoming Barak to the team!