Pierre Ferrari

Ferrari, who was born in Africa in what was then the Belgian Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from 1971 to 1997, Zaire), has more than 40 years of business experience, ranging from large consumer package goods organizations such as Coca-Cola USA to working with socially-oriented organizations like CARE and the Small Enterprise Assistance Fund. In his October 2010 appointment to the position of Chief Executive Officer of Heifer International, he succeeded interim CEO Charles Stewart and Heifer’s longtime president and former CEO Jo Luck.

Ferrari is a marketer and entrepreneur and more recently, a social venture developer. He worked for many years with Coca-Cola USA before deciding in 1995 to focus his energies and business acumen on social issues—to use his skills and aptitude to help, invest in and partner with people living in material poverty to help them achieve self-sufficiency, independence and health, goals that directly align with Heifer’s empowerment-oriented mission

Following his decision to leave Coca-Cola, he joined CARE, where he worked as special assistant to the president, leading the first comprehensive strategic plan based upon performance measures, participating in a feasibility mission for a hospital in Zaire and reviewing a women’s co-op banking project in Niger and micro loan programs.

Ferrari is a current board member of the Small Enterprise Assistance Fund, which provides equity financing to small and medium enterprises in developing countries and emerging markets; Global Impact, an organization that raises resources and partnerships that help the world’s most vulnerable people by providing integrated, partner-specific advisory and other services; and has served on the Board of InterAction. Ferrari is also a former chair and current Board member of Ben and Jerry’s.

Ferrari holds a master’s degree in Economics from The University of Cambridge and a MBA from Harvard Business School.