Counts founded Grameen Foundation.
AB Wire
Alex Counts, the founder of Grameen Foundation, who is widely respected for his decade long work in the areas of microfinance and poverty reduction, has been named as the president and chief executive officer of American India Foundation (AIF).
Counts will assume his position from March 29, said a statement issued to The American Bazaar by AIF’s co-chairs Lata Krishnan and Ajay Banga.
“Counts will continue to build and scale AIF’s presence by leveraging its strong spectrum and networks as well as ensuring that AIF stays at the cutting-edge of innovative solutions for poverty alleviation and economic development in India,” said the statement.
Counts became president and CEO of Grameen Foundation in 1997. After training under Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, the founder and managing director of Grameen Bank, Counts leveraged a $6,000 seed grant to grow Grameen Foundation to a global leader in international development with a $20 million annual budget.
Counts’ thought leadership in the field include the award-winning book, ‘Small Loans, Big Dreams: How Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus and Microfinance Are Changing the World and Voices From the Field’, and numerous contributions to The Washington Post, the International Herald Tribune, the Stanford Social Innovation Review, and many more.
“Counts is a highly regarded development leader who built one of the most successful international humanitarian organizations in the world. He not only has the management experience, passion and drive, but also deep experience in India and South Asia to create the strongest development programs in India,” said the AIF statement.
“Counts is a rare professional who combines the drive of a social entrepreneur with the intellect of an academic. We look forward to working closely with Alex to innovate, build and scale AIF across India in the years to come,” the statement added.
In addition to his work with Grameen, Counts is a board member of Citizen’s Climate Education and Grameen-Jameel Microfinance, Ltd, and sits on the Advisory Council of the Center for Financial Inclusion. Previously, he has served as the Chair of Fonkoze USA and co-chair of the Fonkoze Family Coordinating Committee—two governance bodies of the largest microfinance institution in Haiti. He served as Co-Chair of the Microfinance CEO Working Group and on the Truelift Steering Committee.
Before leading Grameen Foundation, Counts served as the legislative director of RESULTS and as a regional project manager for CARE-Bangladesh. His numerous awards include the Distinguished Alumni Award from Horace Mann School and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Award, given annually by the Class of 1964 to the graduating senior of Cornell University who is the best example of the ideal of public service articulated by our 35th President.
“I am honored to have been selected to lead AIF in its next phase of growth. The achievements and capabilities of this organization are remarkable,” said Counts. “I look forward to leading the team to build on its impressive achievements and become an even more impactful, respected, and resilient organization that disrupts poverty and accelerates poverty reduction in exciting and innovative ways.”
Counts succeeds M.A. Ravi Kumar, who joined AIF as CEO in September 2012, and led the company through a significant growth trajectory.
“I’m proud of the AIF team and I’m optimistic about how we will build on a foundation of innovation to succeed in the future,” Kumar said, in a statement. “It’s been an honor to have led such dedicated teammates for more than three years, and I am deeply thankful to the Board, Trustees, Chapter leads, Volunteers and all supporters and well-wishers.”
“Ravi has guided AIF through multiple growth phases and has built a solid foundation for future growth. The Board sincerely appreciates his leadership and wishes him all the best in his forthcoming role as AIF’s new President of Philanthropy,” said the AIF statement.