Tawanda Mutasah

Tawanda is a globally respected executive, human rights leader, and philanthropic strategist with three decades of senior leadership experience across complex, mission-driven international organizations. His career reflects a rare blend of CEO-level operational leadership and management, large-scale grantmaking and fundraising credibility, institution-building, and deep commitment and proximity to grassroots rights-based social change.

Tawanda is the incoming President and CEO of American Jewish World Service (AJWS). He most recently served as Vice President of Global Partnerships & Impact (GPI) at Oxfam America, with responsibility for overall strategic and operational leadership of Oxfam America’s GPI division. In this role, Tawanda was responsible for identifying, nurturing, and maintaining a wide range of strategic partnerships within and outside the Oxfam international confederation on all matters related to programmatic impact and global networks. Tawanda led global thematic programs spanning climate justice, food systems and land justice, gender justice, natural resources justice, and humanitarian law and action. Working closely with the President and executive leadership team at Oxfam America, he played a central role in shaping organizational strategy and impact across the federated global system. He was a lead spokesperson for Oxfam’s work and a key contributor to fundraising and impact storytelling, translating complex global justice issues into compelling narratives for institutional donors and philanthropic partners. Tawanda introduced the organization’s innovation portfolio, and chaired the Forum of Vice Presidents and Directors of Global Programs across the global Oxfam confederation.

Previously, Tawanda served on the senior executive team at Amnesty International as Senior Director for International Law and Policy. In this role, he provided global leadership across Amnesty’s full human rights agenda, including civil and political rights, economic and social rights, climate and environmental justice, gender and racial justice, and humanitarian law. He acted as a senior convenor and spokesperson at the United Nations in New York and Geneva and played a meaningful role in donor engagement and fundraising storytelling, helping funders understand the organization’s priorities and impact. He also partnered closely with Amnesty’s international governance bodies, gaining extensive experience working with boards within a complex global movement.

Earlier, Tawanda held one of the most senior leadership roles at Open Society Foundations, serving as Global Director of Programs and Vice President. At the time, Open Society distributed approximately $1 billion annually in grants, and Tawanda had executive responsibility for roughly half of that portfolio –overseeing 26 international programs with combined annual budgets of $400–500 million. He led large, multidisciplinary teams across multiple continents, balancing innovation with stewardship and donor intent. He also mobilized resources from bilateral donors and peer foundations, strengthening collaborative funding models and expanding impact at scale.

Before moving to New York, Tawanda served as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), reporting to a board and exercising full executive authority over strategy, operations, finances, and organizational culture. During his tenure, he grew the organization’s annual budget from approximately $5 million to $30 million, led offices across multiple countries, strengthened governance and board engagement, and cultivated relationships with donors, governments, and civil society partners.

Alongside his executive career, Tawanda has maintained a strong commitment to teaching, thought leadership, and board service. He is an adjunct professor of law and public policy and has served on numerous boards and advisory councils advancing human rights, humanitarian protection, and gender justice. He is an admitted attorney and a graduate of Harvard Law School, New York University Law School, the Graduate School of Public & Development Management at the University of the Witwatersrand, and the University of Zimbabwe. Tawanda has taught at the Paris School of International Affairs on international humanitarian law and human rights laws.

Tawanda has served on governing and advisory boards for global institutions that include the Center for Civilians in Conflict, Crisis Action, Open Society Justice Initiative, and Rutgers University’s Center for Women’s Global Leadership; as well as African entities that include Trust Africa, and the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa.