Company Name: The ImPact
Location: New York, NY, United States
Date Posted: Mar 15, 2015
Category: Philanthropy
Job Type: Full-Time
Description
Our Client
The ImPact is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of investors who commit to make impact investments, track their social impact and financial performance, and share that data with others who have made The Pact. The Pact is not a legal agreement, but a moral commitment to take action, learn, share, and recruit investors into the impact investing market. The mission of The ImPact is to increase the probability and pace of solving social problems by improving the flow of capital to businesses that have measurable social impact. The organization aims to build a campaign to recruit investors and entrepreneurs into the impact investing market, as well as a community of investors who share knowledge and data on what works. The ImPact’s vision centers on a number of core beliefs:
1. The world’s social and environmental challenges affect all of us. The world’s increasing
interconnectedness means that local problems can have global implications, and vice versa.
2. Big problems require bold action. We can’t solve problems just by talking about them; we must act boldly, decisively, creatively, and collaboratively to generate positive impact.
3. We need to use all the tools in our belt to solve big problems. By improving flow of capital to businesses generating social impact, we can attract the best talent and technologies to solve social problems. Talent follows capital, and capital follows talent.
4. Profit and social impact are not mutually exclusive. Impact investments can generate
competitive financial return and measurable social impact.
5. Families should play a leading role. Families and individual wealth owners have the passion, dedication, resources, and connections to develop the impact investing ecosystem.
6. We should – and now can – learn from the experiences of others. By building relationships, sharing data, and working collaboratively, we can learn what works (and what does not) in values-aligned investing to solve global problems.
The ImPact is building an onramp to help investors make impact investments, and do so in a way that works for them. The organization provides education to members about impact investing, facilitates mentorship among experienced practitioners and those new to the market, and enables the sharing of data and best practices among members. These core member services of education, data sharing, and networking will be peer-to-peer and member-driven. All activities related to these services will occur within a secure members-only web platform and through member events. A key resource to note is a pro
bono contract (valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars per year) in place with Addepar as The ImPact’s technology platform and partner.
The ImPact is headquartered in New York City. The organization is currently staffed by one full-time Director of Operations and supported by a highly engaged board of directors and group of founding members including the Case Foundation, Omidyar Network, and Sorenson Foundation. With approximately $850K raised to date and a projected 2015 operating budget of $1M, the founding Executive Director of The ImPact is expected to grow the organization in terms of both operating capacity and membership.
The Role
The ImPact seeks a charismatic, entrepreneurial, and highly effective leader to head the organization as its founding Executive Director. The Executive Director will lead and manage a bold and innovative membership organization that convenes high-net-worth individual investors and family offices around a shared education in, commitment to, and community for impact investing.
Reporting to The ImPact’s board of directors and working closely with an extraordinary cohort of founding members, the Executive Director will be the lead architect in shaping the organization’s member experience, recruiting a core group of global co-founders, and creating The ImPact’s business model. Working with a growing global member community, s/he will be responsible for the overall management and leadership of The ImPact, and will be charged with establishing the organization as a respected and influential resource for and convener of high-net-worth individuals and families around
impact investing.
The Executive Director will have a broad range of strategic, management, and member service responsibilities, including management of the critical launch phase of The ImPact. S/he will recruit, develop, and motivate an outstanding community of founding members who, in turn, will assist in establishing The ImPact in the market. S/he will work with the board of directors and Director of Operations to design and implement The ImPact’s unique member experience, as well as the operational infrastructure of the organization.
The Executive Director will represent The ImPact among high-net-worth investors, family offices, and among external audiences in the broader impact investing community. S/he will be expected to engage actively in these communities in selling The ImPact’s member experience and unique value proposition, and to leverage The ImPact’s thought leadership through the member network. As The ImPact’s membership grows internationally, s/he will use Addepar to track and communicate the impact achieved
through member investments and build a globally recognizable brand.
At the helm of this community of influential investors and as an emerging thought leader and movement builder in the impact investment market, the Executive Director will have the opportunity to play a major leadership role in building the nascent impact investing market, and in driving transformative change.
Candidate Profile
The ImPact seeks a self-motivated leader of significant vision, investment credibility, and charismatic gravitas with a high level of respect and passion for impact investing. The Executive Director will have the ability to network comfortably and build trust among high-net-worth individual investors and family offices, and to represent the organization and its members credibly in the impact investing market. The successful candidate will demonstrate superior communication and relationship building skills, and a strong client service orientation.
Given The ImPact’s early stage, the Executive Director will have experience in building and/or growing organizations or movements, with abundant business acumen to manage the operational demands of leading a young nonprofit organization. The successful candidate will be open-minded to diverse definitions of “impact,” and will be inclusive and encouraging in nature. S/he will have a creative and collaborative mindset, and will be open to giving and receiving feedback from various constituents, including the board and members, as the organization grows and defines itself.
In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following:
Business and Strategic Acumen
The founding Executive Director will be a leader with strong vision and interpersonal skills, capable of strategically planning for and implementing The ImPact’s business model and member experience. S/he will have outstanding judgment and be a critical thinker able to make strategic and challenging decisions, in consultation with the board of directors, about the direction of the organization from both operational and member-experience perspectives. The Executive Director will have the ability to generate ideas
from the membership, to assimilate and balance the many different interests and perspectives of The ImPact’s constituents, and demonstrate superior value to members so as to incentivize not only their continued engagement with the organization, but also their active recruitment of additional members among their own networks. S/he must have the focus and tenacity to lead toward the pursuit of goals and objectives even in the face of obstacles. The Executive Director will be an inspirational leader to staff and members and will encourage openness, transparency, and mutual respect.
Entrepreneurial Leadership and Management
The successful candidate will possess entrepreneurial management experience along with a track record of effectively building and/or growing organizations, communities, or movements in a startup environment. S/he will be comfortable operating with and leveraging a small team to achieve ambitious goals, and will set the tone for and foster a culture of inclusion, engagement, and collaboration. A proven ability to find, engage, and leverage members and external advisors is important, in addition to the ability to manage diverse stakeholders and partners (e.g. Addepar). The Executive Director will have a track
record in clearly defining organizational roles, as well as in hiring, evaluating, and retaining diverse, high performing employees who represent a variety of perspectives and talents. Further, he/she must have the executive skills to manage an advisory group of co-founders and founding members. Full comfort with overall fiscal management, audit requirements, budgeting, and financial projections is also essential. The Executive Director will be expected to work with the Board in raising substantial funds as The ImPact launches its membership efforts, though, realistically, staff size can remain relatively small.
Financial Services Insight and Credibility
The ideal candidate will have demonstrated knowledge of and experience in impact investing. It is essential that the Executive Director be comfortable and effective in engaging and building trust among high-net-worth individuals and family offices, as well as among the advisors and gate keepers of their assets. The successful candidate will have presence and credibility in these communities, and will possess both the nuance and gravitas to help members navigate diverging generational attitudes towards impact investing. In addition, s/he and will have the ability to convene members from diverse
backgrounds and geographies with differing personal perspectives on the definition of “impact.” In light of the other organizations and institutions that are woven into the fabric of the international impact investing community, the Executive Director will be able to establish, build upon, and leverage partnerships effectively while simultaneously clarifying and communicating the unique value proposition The ImPact holds for members within this landscape.
Building Relationships and Using Influence
While the successful candidate will be a decisive and strategic leader, this individual must also have gravitas with outstanding interpersonal and communication skills. The Executive Director will be a poised, charismatic, and energetic leader who is also down-to-earth and approachable. S/he will be a diplomat, collaborator, motivator, and relationship builder. S/he will be a service-oriented listener who engages all constituencies in a meaningful and respectful manner, and who always looks out for the members and best interests of the organization as a whole. The individual must also have a track record
of successfully leading and building consensus in complex environments, as s/he is expected to generate consensus within the board and among members around the strategic vision and all organizational activities/positions of The ImPact.
The Executive Director must be skilled at building bridges and developing relationships in a variety of settings with geographically and culturally diverse constituencies. A strong emphasis will be placed upon the proven ability to deal with a range of individuals and perspectives in a collaborative, strategic, and consensus-driven manner. In order to do this, s/he must be an outstanding communicator – articulate and persuasive, and able to convince others to act on information or recommendations based on compelling logic or common best interests. Finally, the individual will possess intellectual breadth and rigor that conveys confidence and credibility, both within the organization and externally. Given the importance of the Executive Director in representing The ImPact throughout the impact investing and broader financial services fields, it is critical that this individual have the executive presence, manner, and style to represent the organization with distinction.
“Contagious” Passion for the Mission
The Executive Director will have strong commitment to and passion for the mission of The ImPact and for impact investing overall. S/he will have high energy for and persistence in achieving the work of the organization, as well as defining, asserting, and communicating The ImPact’s unique value proposition within the broader investment landscape. The successful candidate will have the ability to inspire others when articulating The ImPact’s mission and the value of impact investing, both one-on-one and in front of audiences. The Executive Director will have the demonstrated ability to be creative in identifying new
ways of raising awareness of an organization’s impact and mission.
Contact:
Kimberly Archer
1700 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20006-5208
Tel +1-202-654-7800
[email protected]
Katherine N. Armstrong
Russell Reynolds Associates
One Federal Street, 26th Floor
Boston, MA 02110-2003
Tel: +1-617-523-1111
[email protected]
Lucia Ferreira
Russell Reynolds Associates
200 Park Avenue, Suite 2300
New York, NY 10166-0002
Tel +1-212-351-2000
[email protected]
The ImPact is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of investors who commit to make impact investments, track their social impact and financial performance, and share that data with others who have made The Pact. The Pact is not a legal agreement, but a moral commitment to take action, learn, share, and recruit investors into the impact investing market. The mission of The ImPact is to increase the probability and pace of solving social problems by improving the flow of capital to businesses that have measurable social impact. The organization aims to build a campaign to recruit investors and entrepreneurs into the impact investing market, as well as a community of investors who share knowledge and data on what works. The ImPact’s vision centers on a number of core beliefs:
1. The world’s social and environmental challenges affect all of us. The world’s increasing
interconnectedness means that local problems can have global implications, and vice versa.
2. Big problems require bold action. We can’t solve problems just by talking about them; we must act boldly, decisively, creatively, and collaboratively to generate positive impact.
3. We need to use all the tools in our belt to solve big problems. By improving flow of capital to businesses generating social impact, we can attract the best talent and technologies to solve social problems. Talent follows capital, and capital follows talent.
4. Profit and social impact are not mutually exclusive. Impact investments can generate
competitive financial return and measurable social impact.
5. Families should play a leading role. Families and individual wealth owners have the passion, dedication, resources, and connections to develop the impact investing ecosystem.
6. We should – and now can – learn from the experiences of others. By building relationships, sharing data, and working collaboratively, we can learn what works (and what does not) in values-aligned investing to solve global problems.
The ImPact is building an onramp to help investors make impact investments, and do so in a way that works for them. The organization provides education to members about impact investing, facilitates mentorship among experienced practitioners and those new to the market, and enables the sharing of data and best practices among members. These core member services of education, data sharing, and networking will be peer-to-peer and member-driven. All activities related to these services will occur within a secure members-only web platform and through member events. A key resource to note is a pro
bono contract (valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars per year) in place with Addepar as The ImPact’s technology platform and partner.
The ImPact is headquartered in New York City. The organization is currently staffed by one full-time Director of Operations and supported by a highly engaged board of directors and group of founding members including the Case Foundation, Omidyar Network, and Sorenson Foundation. With approximately $850K raised to date and a projected 2015 operating budget of $1M, the founding Executive Director of The ImPact is expected to grow the organization in terms of both operating capacity and membership.
The Role
The ImPact seeks a charismatic, entrepreneurial, and highly effective leader to head the organization as its founding Executive Director. The Executive Director will lead and manage a bold and innovative membership organization that convenes high-net-worth individual investors and family offices around a shared education in, commitment to, and community for impact investing.
Reporting to The ImPact’s board of directors and working closely with an extraordinary cohort of founding members, the Executive Director will be the lead architect in shaping the organization’s member experience, recruiting a core group of global co-founders, and creating The ImPact’s business model. Working with a growing global member community, s/he will be responsible for the overall management and leadership of The ImPact, and will be charged with establishing the organization as a respected and influential resource for and convener of high-net-worth individuals and families around
impact investing.
The Executive Director will have a broad range of strategic, management, and member service responsibilities, including management of the critical launch phase of The ImPact. S/he will recruit, develop, and motivate an outstanding community of founding members who, in turn, will assist in establishing The ImPact in the market. S/he will work with the board of directors and Director of Operations to design and implement The ImPact’s unique member experience, as well as the operational infrastructure of the organization.
The Executive Director will represent The ImPact among high-net-worth investors, family offices, and among external audiences in the broader impact investing community. S/he will be expected to engage actively in these communities in selling The ImPact’s member experience and unique value proposition, and to leverage The ImPact’s thought leadership through the member network. As The ImPact’s membership grows internationally, s/he will use Addepar to track and communicate the impact achieved
through member investments and build a globally recognizable brand.
At the helm of this community of influential investors and as an emerging thought leader and movement builder in the impact investment market, the Executive Director will have the opportunity to play a major leadership role in building the nascent impact investing market, and in driving transformative change.
Candidate Profile
The ImPact seeks a self-motivated leader of significant vision, investment credibility, and charismatic gravitas with a high level of respect and passion for impact investing. The Executive Director will have the ability to network comfortably and build trust among high-net-worth individual investors and family offices, and to represent the organization and its members credibly in the impact investing market. The successful candidate will demonstrate superior communication and relationship building skills, and a strong client service orientation.
Given The ImPact’s early stage, the Executive Director will have experience in building and/or growing organizations or movements, with abundant business acumen to manage the operational demands of leading a young nonprofit organization. The successful candidate will be open-minded to diverse definitions of “impact,” and will be inclusive and encouraging in nature. S/he will have a creative and collaborative mindset, and will be open to giving and receiving feedback from various constituents, including the board and members, as the organization grows and defines itself.
In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following:
Business and Strategic Acumen
The founding Executive Director will be a leader with strong vision and interpersonal skills, capable of strategically planning for and implementing The ImPact’s business model and member experience. S/he will have outstanding judgment and be a critical thinker able to make strategic and challenging decisions, in consultation with the board of directors, about the direction of the organization from both operational and member-experience perspectives. The Executive Director will have the ability to generate ideas
from the membership, to assimilate and balance the many different interests and perspectives of The ImPact’s constituents, and demonstrate superior value to members so as to incentivize not only their continued engagement with the organization, but also their active recruitment of additional members among their own networks. S/he must have the focus and tenacity to lead toward the pursuit of goals and objectives even in the face of obstacles. The Executive Director will be an inspirational leader to staff and members and will encourage openness, transparency, and mutual respect.
Entrepreneurial Leadership and Management
The successful candidate will possess entrepreneurial management experience along with a track record of effectively building and/or growing organizations, communities, or movements in a startup environment. S/he will be comfortable operating with and leveraging a small team to achieve ambitious goals, and will set the tone for and foster a culture of inclusion, engagement, and collaboration. A proven ability to find, engage, and leverage members and external advisors is important, in addition to the ability to manage diverse stakeholders and partners (e.g. Addepar). The Executive Director will have a track
record in clearly defining organizational roles, as well as in hiring, evaluating, and retaining diverse, high performing employees who represent a variety of perspectives and talents. Further, he/she must have the executive skills to manage an advisory group of co-founders and founding members. Full comfort with overall fiscal management, audit requirements, budgeting, and financial projections is also essential. The Executive Director will be expected to work with the Board in raising substantial funds as The ImPact launches its membership efforts, though, realistically, staff size can remain relatively small.
Financial Services Insight and Credibility
The ideal candidate will have demonstrated knowledge of and experience in impact investing. It is essential that the Executive Director be comfortable and effective in engaging and building trust among high-net-worth individuals and family offices, as well as among the advisors and gate keepers of their assets. The successful candidate will have presence and credibility in these communities, and will possess both the nuance and gravitas to help members navigate diverging generational attitudes towards impact investing. In addition, s/he and will have the ability to convene members from diverse
backgrounds and geographies with differing personal perspectives on the definition of “impact.” In light of the other organizations and institutions that are woven into the fabric of the international impact investing community, the Executive Director will be able to establish, build upon, and leverage partnerships effectively while simultaneously clarifying and communicating the unique value proposition The ImPact holds for members within this landscape.
Building Relationships and Using Influence
While the successful candidate will be a decisive and strategic leader, this individual must also have gravitas with outstanding interpersonal and communication skills. The Executive Director will be a poised, charismatic, and energetic leader who is also down-to-earth and approachable. S/he will be a diplomat, collaborator, motivator, and relationship builder. S/he will be a service-oriented listener who engages all constituencies in a meaningful and respectful manner, and who always looks out for the members and best interests of the organization as a whole. The individual must also have a track record
of successfully leading and building consensus in complex environments, as s/he is expected to generate consensus within the board and among members around the strategic vision and all organizational activities/positions of The ImPact.
The Executive Director must be skilled at building bridges and developing relationships in a variety of settings with geographically and culturally diverse constituencies. A strong emphasis will be placed upon the proven ability to deal with a range of individuals and perspectives in a collaborative, strategic, and consensus-driven manner. In order to do this, s/he must be an outstanding communicator – articulate and persuasive, and able to convince others to act on information or recommendations based on compelling logic or common best interests. Finally, the individual will possess intellectual breadth and rigor that conveys confidence and credibility, both within the organization and externally. Given the importance of the Executive Director in representing The ImPact throughout the impact investing and broader financial services fields, it is critical that this individual have the executive presence, manner, and style to represent the organization with distinction.
“Contagious” Passion for the Mission
The Executive Director will have strong commitment to and passion for the mission of The ImPact and for impact investing overall. S/he will have high energy for and persistence in achieving the work of the organization, as well as defining, asserting, and communicating The ImPact’s unique value proposition within the broader investment landscape. The successful candidate will have the ability to inspire others when articulating The ImPact’s mission and the value of impact investing, both one-on-one and in front of audiences. The Executive Director will have the demonstrated ability to be creative in identifying new
ways of raising awareness of an organization’s impact and mission.
Contact:
Kimberly Archer
1700 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20006-5208
Tel +1-202-654-7800
[email protected]
Katherine N. Armstrong
Russell Reynolds Associates
One Federal Street, 26th Floor
Boston, MA 02110-2003
Tel: +1-617-523-1111
[email protected]
Lucia Ferreira
Russell Reynolds Associates
200 Park Avenue, Suite 2300
New York, NY 10166-0002
Tel +1-212-351-2000
[email protected]
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