International Development Leader and Equality Champion Harpinder Collacott Joins Mercy Corps as Executive Director for Europe

Mercy Corps is pleased to announce the appointment of Harpinder (Pin) Collacott as its new Executive Director for Europe. Collacott will lead Mercy Corps’ growth in Europe to further the organisation’s support for communities facing poverty, disaster, violent conflict, and the acute impacts of climate change in 40+ countries. 

Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, CEO of Mercy Corps said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Harpinder to Mercy Corps as our Executive Director for Europe, after a highly competitive global search.  She brings two decades of deep expertise on global issues, international development, and foreign policy. She is a leading voice in the sector on the critical issues of evidence-based decision-making, the future of development finance, and how global institutions need to shift to meet the needs of today’s world. I am delighted she will share her expertise and experience with our organisation.”

Collacott joins Mercy Corps after serving as Chief Executive of Development Initiatives since 2015. In addition to providing strategic leadership to advance the organisation, she oversaw operations in the UK, the US, East Africa, and Nepal. She has spent significant time in East Africa with Development Initiatives, and has also lived and worked in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Afghanistan and held short-term assignments in India, Pakistan, Brazil, and Argentina.

Commenting on her appointment, Collacott said:

“I am thrilled to join Mercy Corps at this deeply challenging time when global development progress is unraveling on many fronts. From the ongoing effects of the war in Ukraine to spiraling climate chaos to looming famine in parts of the world, Mercy Corps is needed now more than ever. The organisation’s highly effective approach rooted in local knowledge, partnerships and innovative programming saves lives and livelihoods, and helps communities confronting conflict and climate change adapt and thrive for the future. I look forward to bringing my experience and voice to the table as we face these issues head on.”

Collacott takes the post of Executive Director beginning 31st October, 2022.

Mercy Corps is a global team of nearly 6,000 humanitarians working to create a world where everyone can prosper. In more than 40 countries affected by crisis, disaster, poverty and climate change we work alongside communities, local governments, forward-thinking corporations and social entrepreneurs to meet urgent needs and develop long-term solutions to make lasting change possible. Last year, Mercy Corps reached over 50 million people.