NEW YORK, Feb. 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World Education Services (WES) has appointed Dr. Julie Reddy, former Chief Executive Officer of the South African Qualifications Authority, to its Board of Trustees.
“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Reddy to the WES Board. She brings immense expertise in the mobility of education and skills. Her international experience will propel WES forward as we pursue ambitious growth,” said Audrey Hendley, Board chair.
Esther Benjamin, CEO and Executive Director at WES, stated, “Dr. Reddy is a highly respected leader with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working and speaking alongside at international convenings and global initiatives. She is an insightful executive and will be an important advisor to the organization.”
For more than 30 years Dr. Reddy has held senior roles in the public and social sectors, leading organizations in international education and skills development. She is an International Juror for the UNESCO Learning City Award and serves on the Groningen Declaration Network’s Board of Directors. In 2022, South Africa’s Minister of Basic Education appointed her Deputy Chair of the South African National Commission for UNESCO.
“WES has a reputation for excellence in academic credential evaluation. I’ve had the pleasure of partnering with the organization as part of a pilot program to ensure that eligible refugees and displaced individuals can have their qualifications assessed and recognized in South Africa,” said Dr. Reddy. “Now, I’m thrilled to join the Board.”
WES also announced additions to its leadership team. Abbie Cowan joins WES as its first Chief People Officer. Léa Tienou-Gustafson joins the organization as Senior Director of the WES Mariam Assefa Fund. Cowan was previously at Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, as Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Global Chief Diversity Officer. Tienou-Gustafson previously served as Director of Refugee and Immigrant Community Services at Heartland Alliance.
Monica Munn has assumed the role of Chief Social Impact Officer to lead WES’ Social Impact Division overseeing programmatic, philanthropic, policy, and partnership initiatives that advance the educational, economic, and social inclusion of immigrants, refugees, and international students.
“Abbie Cowan and Léa Tienou-Gustafson are wonderful additions to the WES leadership team,” said Benjamin. “They are people-centric, impact-oriented leaders, and I look forward to witnessing how they will shape the organization in the years ahead.” Benjamin continued, “Monica Munn has spearheaded WES’ philanthropic work since the launch of the WES Mariam Assefa Fund in 2019. I’m delighted to see her continue and expand this work as she leads a global social impact division.”
About WES
World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. For more than 45 years, WES has set the standard of excellence in the field of international academic credential evaluation. Through WES Global Talent Bridge, the organization joins with institutional partners, community-based organizations, and policymakers to help immigrants and refugees who hold international credentials fully utilize their talents and education to achieve their academic and professional goals. Through its grantmaking, impact investing, and partnerships, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund seeks to advance economic and social inclusion for immigrants and refugees.
For more information, contact Anne Greenwood, Director of Enterprise Communications, World Education Services. T: +1.416.972.5045 E: agreenwood@wes.org.
