TechnoServe Announces Katarina Kahlmann as Its First Chief Program Officer
Kahlmann returns to TechnoServe in a role focused on ensuring program quality and impact
Arlington, VA (January 23, 2019) — International nonprofit TechnoServe announced today that Katarina Kahlmann has returned to the organization to serve as its first-ever chief program officer.
The new position will ensure the highest quality delivery across TechnoServe’s more than 150 programs worldwide, in support of the organization’s mission to help enterprising people in low-income countries gain the business skills and access to markets and financing. Kahlmann will support the organization’s sustained growth and oversee TechnoServe’s four regional directors and its substantial global entrepreneurship and coffee practices.
Kahlmann has an extensive track record of success both at TechnoServe and in the broader development field. After beginning her TechnoServe career as one of the organization’s Fellows, she helped launch a public-private partnership to create economic opportunities in Haiti’s mango sector following the 2010 earthquake, later serving as TechnoServe’s first country director there. As a director in TechnoServe’s global Strategic Initiatives practice, Kahlmann worked with leading corporations to develop sustainable sourcing initiatives that delivered shared value for small-scale producers and companies alike. Between 2016 and 2019, Kahlmann served as TechnoServe’s regional director for West Africa, supervising operations in four countries and managing a portfolio of projects that spanned sectors as diverse as entrepreneurship, cashew, and cocoa.
Kahlmann has also worked as a consultant within McKinsey & Company and the United Nations Development Programme, and also served as an associate partner at Material Economics in Sweden. She holds an MSc. in Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics.
“Over 50 years, TechnoServe has built its reputation on the quality of its work. The new chief program officer position is designed to further increase our organizational effectiveness and ensure that every project delivers transformative impact for our clients,” said William Warshauer, CEO and president of TechnoServe. “That’s why we are so excited about Katarina’s return. Her mix of experience implementing successful projects on the ground, overseeing country offices, and working with a wide array of partners makes her uniquely suited for this role.”
“I’m thrilled to be back at TechnoServe,” said Kahlmann. “Over the course of nearly a decade, I had the chance to see first-hand the amazing work done by TechnoServe’s teams around the globe, and I am excited to help them create change for even more enterprising women and men in Africa, Latin America, and India.”
Kahlmann assumed the role on January 16.
##
About TechnoServe
TechnoServe is a leader in harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty. A nonprofit organization operating in 29 countries, we work with enterprising men and women in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries. By linking people to information, capital and markets, we have helped millions to create lasting prosperity for their families and communities.
Founded over 50 years ago, TechnoServe has been named the #1 nonprofit for fighting poverty by the ImpactMatters charity ratings agency.
