Business Development Program Manager

Summary of Qualifications: Mr. Kearns brings ** years of domestic and international transformational development, strategic direction, operational oversight, business development, government affairs, and leadership/management experience, both as an expatriate having lived and worked for ten years in South Sudan, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Vietnam, as well as a U.S.-based Director and Vice-President leading teams engaging in policy, strategy, business development and provision of programmatic and technical support for individual portfolios worth several hundred million dollars. In addition, Mr. Kearns has led and/or managed work in 50 countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, eastern Europe and Latin America. He has also raised funding from major donors, foundations, corporations and government donors in the Unites States and at least 20 other governments abroad.

Mr. Kearns has experience in capture management, business process design, program/project assessment, design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and transition/close-out. He has also led large impact evaluations in Myanmar, Albania, Laos, Russia (Ingushetia), Vietnam, South Sudan, Bangladesh, Kenya, and the West Bank. This programmatic work and field experience has led to a high capture-rate with regards to business development with bilateral/multi-lateral donors (USAID, EC, SIDA, UNHCR), large corporations (e.g. Starbucks, Keurig Green Mountain, Blommer), leading foundations (e.g. MasterCard, Kellogg, Gates, and Margaret A. Cargill), as well as high net-worth individuals. This combination of technical, programmatic, and resource mobilization experience has helped to grow and improve the organizations with which he has worked.

Mr. Kearns has led and managed more than 200 grants, contracts and cooperative agreements from USAID, Department of State, Department of Defense, and Department of Labor in the following areas: direct giving, inclusive market systems, HIV/AIDS (funded by PEPFAR and UNFPA), financial services, humanitarian assistance work in conflict areas, rehabilitation/reconstruction and stabilization in post-conflict areas, adult learning, democracy and governance, public health (including nutrition and maternal/child health), civil society, gender, youth development, agriculture value chains, microfinance, forestry, water and sanitation, early childhood care and development, commodity monetization, primary education, psychosocial rehabilitation, grassroots community mobilization, anti-trafficking, countering violent extremism and disinformation, involvement of indigenous children and women in community-led projects, and capacity building of local partners (both government and non-government) in Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. At the heart of much of this work is the transformation of the organization and communities in which we work(ed).

Mr. Kearns has a successful leadership track record, having managed 75 professional full-time expatriate staff (both technical and non-technical) and more than 500 national staff (in South Sudan, Bosnia and Vietnam) and overseeing large operational budgets from donors and clients such as the EU, Dutch Government, USAID (includes OFDA and Local Mission and PEPFAR funding in health and food security), U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Agriculture, World Bank, UNICEF, UNHCR, World Food Program, AusAID, Asia Development Bank, and government donors in Germany, UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Japan, Finland, Austria, and the Netherlands. In addition, Mr. Kearns has obtained funding and managed projects from a variety of private donors (individuals and corporations) in the United States and 14 other countries in Europe and Asia. A substantial part of his work was training both national and international staff in key adult learning principles, organizational development, and leadership.

Throughout his work, Mr. Kearns has worked in a variety of positions, including Commodities Officer, Program Officer, Program Manager, Team Leader, Business Manager, Director, Operations Director, and Vice-President of large offices. Combined with this field experience, Mr. Kearns has also led and managed a U.S.-based team of 20 staff (including Program Officers, Technical Directors, Finance Officers, and Contracts Officers) responsible for proposal capture and backstopping large portfolios. To support this, Mr. Kearns has conducted numerous trainings in topics such as facilitation, program/project assessment and design, leadership, and monitoring and evaluation. A significant part of each job was a focus on developing and coaching expatriate and national staff for leadership positions. In addition, Mr. Kearns has substantial experience working with a wide variety of stakeholders, including governments, communities, civil society organizations, and bilateral and multi-lateral partners.

Education:

P.M.P (Project Management Professional) Certificate

M.B.A., Eastern University, Saint David’s, Pennsylvania,

M.P.I.A, track in Economic and Social Development, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs,

University of Pittsburgh,

B.A., Political Science, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pennsylvania,

Geographic Experience: Designed, implemented, monitored/evaluated and/or back-stopped programs in: Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Burma, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Cuba, East Timor, The Gambia, Germany, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Malawi, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Palestinian Territories, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Russia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Korea, the Sahelian states, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, UAE, Uganda, USA, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe, and Vietnam.

Areas of Expertise: Leadership, Business Development, Program Development, Operations, Change Communications, Democracy and Governance, Facilitation, Microenterprise, Infrastructure Rehabilitation, Refugee Return, Food Assistance in Humanitarian and Development Contexts, Project Design/Implementation/Monitoring/Evaluation, Knowledge Management, Public Health (including HIV/AIDS), Primary Education, anti-Trafficking, Knowledge Management, Early Childhood Care and Development, and Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, and Response.

SELECTED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Director, Africa Division, International Republican Institute, July 2019 - Present

-Provide overall leadership to a staff of 100+ based in the United States and in 26 African countries (16 offices) who implement programming around civil society strengthening, polling, incorporation of youth and women in political life, legislative strengthening, international election observations, countering foreign authoritarian influence, and increasing executive performance.

-In nearly five years I increased new business from $10 million per annum to $30+ million per annum from donors including the U.S. State Department, National Endowment for Democracy, the European Union, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Total portfolio under management is approximately $50 million.

-We entered new lines of business, including countering foreign malign influence, anti-corruption, technology and democracy, and the use of data to inform election preparation and monitoring.

Global Director of Business Development and Fundraising, Institute for War and Peace Reporting, December 2017 – March 2019

-Provide leadership to a team of development staff in the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands to raise funding from large bilateral and multilateral donors, corporations, foundations, and major donors (annual budget is approximately $8 million).

-Build technical capability in the areas of civil society, monitoring and evaluation, digital security, gender, investigative journalism, and supporting human rights defenders.

-In the first nine months of 2018 raised over $12 million, with another $10+ million in pre-approval. Proposals funded included those to counter disinformation from foreign powers, promotion of civil society (focus on women and youth), combat violent extremism, promote independent journalism, and the role of media in elections.

Vice-President, Institutional Partnerships, Heifer International, October 2014 – August 2017

-Provide leadership and strategic direction for four teams (30 total staff): Institutions (bilateral and multilateral), Corporations, Foundations, and Major Gifts (high net-worth individuals). In the past 2.5 years raised over $80 million from donors including (but not limited to) USAID, Starbucks, Cargill, EU, Kellogg and MasterCard Foundations, Keurig-Green Mountain, United Nations, and Swedish, Norwegian, and British Governments.

-Design, implement, and automate a business development process that now encompasses opportunity identification through to proposal capture.

-Development of a pipeline for all groups under my leadership to assess both short-term performance and longer-term potential.

-Work closely with 26 Country offices and three Regional Teams with regards to project development in the following areas: nutrition (including behavior change communication), inclusive market systems, gender, climate change, animal management, and social capital/civil society building.

Director, Grants and Strategic Partnerships, ChildFund International, January 2013 – October 2014

-Provide leadership and strategic direction for the global grants acquisition and management staff responsible for the planning, coordination and implementation of a complex grants/contracts portfolio and highly technical special projects. In 12 months acquired over $35 million in new awards.

-Manage an active grants portfolio of $110 million from 30+ different donors, including multilaterals (e.g. World Bank), bilaterals (e.g. USAID), and foundations (MasterCard), among others.

-Built strategic relationships and strengthens the organization’s profile with federal agency, international NGO, and foundation senior staff, as well as key policymakers.

-Create funding opportunities through active engagement with professional foundations, federal organizations and Congressional staff.

-Oversee the development of organizational processes for grants acquisition and management. This includes identifying and researching institutional donor prospects; strategic profiling and networking; advising on bid submission strategies; overseeing quality proposal development; and negotiating with partners and consortia.

-Coordinate with the Resource Development department, Finance and Operations, and regional point persons to set grant award and revenue targets, as well as the strategies to win and support them.

-Manage organizational strategy to ensure consistent approaches to resolving strategic relationship issues with donors and partners, taking the lead role as required to advance organizational interests.

-In coordination with regional offices and technical teams, developed and maintained an organizational strategy to ensure all post-award financial, program performance, compliance and contractual aspects of awards are followed and met.

Director, Global Implementation Team, World Vision International, April 2011 – January 2013

- Responsible for ensuring that people, process, and technology changes accompany any enterprise-wide global initiatives, including those in knowledge management, human resources, corporate security, program quality, and information technology.

- Led a team of 16 staff based in 12 countries in implementing an $80 million online knowledge management information system utilized by more than 20,000 staff in 100 countries.

- Developed a Global Implementation Methodology for all initiatives to be implemented world-wide.

- Lead a team to implement global programming in C4D (Communications for Development), Corporate Security, and IT.

- Develop training materials and facilitate workshops and trainings globally on a variety of topics using adult learning methodologies.

Regional Implementation Leader for Africa, Asia and Eurasia, Program Management Information System (PMIS), World Vision International, September 2008 – March 2011

-Lead the implementation in Asia, Africa, Middle East/Eastern European, and Support Entity (i.e. fundraising offices) of a $78 million global information management system to be utilized by more than 100 offices and more than 20,000 staff. Responsibilities include managing a team of implementers in Asia, eastern Europe and Africa, and working with a variety of internal stakeholders and business domains (e.g. Public Policy/Advocacy, Community Development, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, etc.) to ensure that their business requirements are reflected in the Future State Road Map of PMIS.

-Strong focus on organizational change management, knowledge management, and encouraging wide-scale adoption of PMIS in WV offices in Asia, Eastern Europe/Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, as well as community-based partners in remote areas.

-Implementation of four batches of more than 70 WV offices on five continents. Exceeded implementation goals, all of which were completed ahead of schedule.

Operations Director, World Vision Vietnam (WVV), January 2005 – July 2008

-Led and managed 40+ integrated community development programs in Vietnam with an annual operating budget of $17 million in 2008 (budget was $9 million in 2005). Donors included USAID (PEPFAR), AusAID (Australian Government), UNFPA, Asia Development Bank and private donors in 14 countries in Asia, United States, Europe, and Australia.

-Recruited, coached, and managed a senior-level team of four expatriates and seven Vietnamese managers and oversaw the work of more than 200 staff. By the time of Mr. Kearns’ departure, all expatriate positions had been nationalized and WVV had its first Vietnamese Operations Director in its history.

-Obtained grant funding from USAID/PEFPAR and set-up management infrastructure for implementation of a 6-year program in the areas of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Voluntary Testing and Counseling, Orphans and Vulnerable Children, and Economic Strengthening in Haiphong and Saigon.

-Worked with Vietnamese Government entities at the National, Provincial, District, Commune, and Hamlet levels in 14 provinces in Vietnam in developing, managing, monitoring, and evaluating projects worth over $20 million.

-Led 3-year implementation of World Vision International’s new Design, Monitoring, and Evaluation framework in all programs and projects in Vietnam. This included changing the WVV culture, particularly in relation to institutionalizing a monitoring culture among all staff. As a result, the quality of all WVV assessments, designs, annual reporting, and evaluations improved dramatically.

-Obtained funding from both public and private donors for new programs in HIV/AIDS, Access to Markets, anti-trafficking, capacity building of staff and partners (in topics such as facilitation, coaching, and leadership development) strengthening of local community development organizations at village and commune levels, community-based disaster mitigation, and agricultural research (linking farmers to the Rice Knowledge Bank funded by the Asia Development Bank).

-Managed WVV Technical Teams to ensure strategies were developed and implemented in the areas of primary education, early childhood care and development, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, agriculture (including irrigation, improved crop diversification/intensification, forestry), disaster prevention/mitigation, capacity building of local community organizations, village health worker capacity building, and child participation. One key result is that local community organizations were increasingly able to manage budgets independently of WVV, allowing WVV to transition out of some communities.

-Oversaw implementation of a 3-year, $2 million community-based disaster mitigation strengthening contract from the Australian Government. Mid-term evaluation results indicated strong community participation and ownership and reduced vulnerability to natural disasters.

-Lead Evaluator of an evaluation of the first 5-year phase of a multi-faceted, integrated community development project in Albania.

-Part of assessment team in Ingushetia making recommendations for moving from humanitarian assistance programming to development programming among internally-displaced persons from Chechnya.

** 2002-2005 – Senior Director – Asia, Middle East and Eastern European Regions – World Vision United States, Washington D.C.

-Led of team of 20 staff who back-stopped a portfolio of more than $100 million from USAID, Department of State, USDA, Department of Labor, and private donors in the areas of community development, recovery from conflict, humanitarian assistance, governance, food commodity monetization, child labor, microfinance, anti-trafficking/sex slavery, child survival and nutrition, among others in 30 countries.

-Strong focus on advocacy and public policy with partners regarding programming in Burma, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Indonesia. Activities included building coalitions with other NGOs and organizations in Washington D.C. to advocate for policies protecting the rights of citizens in conflict/post-conflict situations, advocating for increased U.S. Government funding in Burma and North Korea, and working with internal WVUS stakeholders in crafting organization policies.

-Led funding and program effort to establish new WV offices in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Dubai. Funding portfolio increased from $0 to $20 million in one year.

-Obtained the first “Democracy and Governance” cooperative agreement in WV’s history, which was implemented in Pakistan.

** 1999-2001 – Program Officer, North Korea, Bangladesh, Burma, East Timor, Indonesia – World Vision United States, Washington D.C.

-Wrote successful proposal to USAID worth $89 million for a 5-year food monetization program in Bangladesh which was fully integrated into 36 privately-funded long-term community development programs. Sectors included rural infrastructure, improved agriculture productivity, water/sanitation, and building capacity of local community partners.

-Wrote successful proposals to USAID and USDA worth over $30 million for humanitarian assistance and recovery projects, governance, child rights, and education in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

-Successfully obtained funding from the U.S. State Department’s Department for Human Rights and Labor Bureau for an anti-trafficking project within Burma. As a follow-on, Mr. Kearns successfully prepared a 5-country Mekong Delta Regional Strategy grant to the Trafficking in Persons Office in the U.S. State Department.

-Traveled to East Timor during the conflict and wrote $5 million worth of successful proposals to USAID/OFDA for humanitarian assistance and recovery projects for multiple locations within the country.

-Successfully obtained funding for peacebuilding work in Halmahera (North Maluku), Indonesia.

** 1995-1999 – Operations Director, Head of Sarajevo Office, and Program Officer – World Vision Bosnia (WVB), Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

-As Program Officer from 1995-1996 (during the war), increased the WVB annual budget from $500,000 to $30 million and developed funding relationships with USAID/OFDA, World Bank, European Union, UNHCR, and private donors in Europe, the United States and Asia. Funding was for projects in infrastructure repair, weatherization/winterization, microfinance, psychosocial rehabilitation, and provision of humanitarian assistance to internally-displaced persons and refugees.

-As Head of Office - Sarajevo from 1996-1998, increased the office’s budget from $50,000 to $9 million annually with funding from UNHCR, EU, USAID/OFDA, and the World Bank. Responsibilities included oversight of nine expatriate staff and more than 50 national staff. Program sectors included de-mining, civil society building with local partners, psychosocial projects in local schools, and reconstruction of key infrastructure (e.g. schools, power generating stations, health clinics).

-As Operations Director, managed a $30 million annual budget that included 27 grants from 14 bilateral and multilateral donors. Work focused on post-conflict activities such as psychosocial care in primary/secondary schools, microfinance to rebuild shattered small businesses, ethnic reconciliation between Serbs and Bosniaks, and managed return of internally-displaced persons and refugees to their homes and communities of origins. Led and managed 35 expatriates from 14 different countries, as well as 200+ national staff in seven program locations throughout Bosnia.

-During the war, began what is now the largest independent microfinance institution in WV. Now a separate organization from WV, it has an annual budget of $100 million.

-Worked with U.S. Government and the U.S. Armed Forces to ensure both adequate budget levels for refugee return, de-mining assistance, and protection of returnees.

** 1993-95 – Commodities/Logistics Officer and Deputy Team Leader – Tonj and Yambio Counties, South Sudan and Lokichokio, Kenya, World Vision southern Sudan

-As Commodities/Logistics Officer, oversaw storage, air transport, and distribution of USAID and UN World Food Program food and non-food commodities to over 50,000 beneficiaries in South Sudan, which at that time was in a state of war. Managed frequent evacuations of staff from remote areas in South Sudan and led coordination with United Nations staff.

-As Deputy Team Leader, oversaw integrated humanitarian assistance funding from USAID/OFDA in the areas of Maternal Child Health, Expanded Program of Immunization, agricultural recovery, food and non-food commodity distribution, improving water resources, veterinary care, and building capacity of local partners. Oversaw a national staff of 250 and expatriate staff of 15 located in extremely remote regions.

-Led and participated in several project assessments (e.g. Nutrition, Agriculture, Therapeutic Feeding, Expanded Program on Immunization) of new program areas in active conflict zones.

** 1991 – 1993 – Procurement Director, Gifts In Kind Department, World Vision United States, Los Angeles, California

-Responsible for identifying, soliciting, and acquiring gifts-in-kind for ultimate distribution to more than 30 country programs.

-Increased the range of gifts-in-kind to include pharmaceuticals, education textbooks, clothing, and equipment for local communities.

-GIK experienced growth from $20 million per annum to more than $50 million per annum. Assisted in setting up logistics and distribution systems in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Kearns, Gregory, MBA

11528 Colt Terrace, Silver Spring, MD 20902

E-mail: ***********@*****.***; Cell: 301-***-****

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