Dear Southern Voice partners and friends,

Today, I want to share some news regarding my personal journey and our organization’s future. The Steering Committee, the Secretariat and I have been preparing for my transition to step down as Executive Director by the end of 2023. I will remain in a transition role to support the network.

Serving Southern Voice has been an absolute honour, and I am deeply grateful for the experiences and opportunities this role has provided me. I have long recognized and valued the exceptional work of our member organizations, and I do not doubt that you share this profound appreciation. Of course, part of this journey has included working with you! I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for our collaboration so far.

From the beginning, we believed that the mission of Southern Voice required shared leadership. It includes active participation from the Steering Committee, the Secretariat, our Host Organization, and our members. Along these lines, we must ensure renewal within the leadership positions to allow diverse voices to emerge; this has been considered in our governance documents from the onset. After being with Southern Voice since its inception ten years ago, the time has come to renew this position.

We understand that this leadership shift, the first for the executive function, may raise concerns among our members and partners. However, the Steering Committee and the Secretariat team are fully committed to making this process happen thoughtfully. A new Executive Director is expected to join by the beginning of 2024, giving us enough time to plan the transition.

I am personally dedicated to ensuring this successful changeover. We are designing a process that includes an overlap between myself and the incoming Executive Director.

This message is not a goodbye but rather an assurance that the network’s growth and evolution are thoughtfully planned. Southern Voice has an exciting journey ahead, and I am committed to continue supporting it as I know you are too. You can find the job ad for the new Director here.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch in case you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Andrea

A message from Southern Voice Chair, Dr Rose Ngugi:

Dear Friends and Colleagues, 

Andrea Ordóñez has definitely left a mark at Southern Voice. To say the least, her name is equivalent to the organization and its fantastic work in the last decade. Her decision to step down demonstrates her upheld  values and principles, we appreciate the thoughtful process that has been designed for a smooth transition ahead. 

Andrea leaves the organisation in excellent shape for the desired growth and stability of the network. Both the Secretariat team and funding are secured and in place for the next couple of years. That is no small feat.

Although it will be difficult to fill her shoes, we are looking forward to welcoming a new Executive Director in 2024. The times we live in require bold ideas and, more than ever, southern perspectives in guiding a sustainable development agenda. The new leader should build on what we have achieved thus far and bring in foresight, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability to the network. 

The Steering Committee and I are grateful for Andrea’s work and always positive attitude. She led theSecretariat with kindness, patience and an open mind. We will miss her energy in the network, but look forward to a smooth transition period where she will help the incoming Executive Director and the Steering Committee to tap her tacit knowledge of the network. We are sure that her future in the development field is bright and that she will continue to promote Southern Voice’s vision of a balanced global power.

I stand ready to work with my Steering Committee colleagues, including my fellow members of the search group, to identify a strong successor. We have engaged Mission Talent, a global transformative leadership consulting firm, to help with the quest for a new leader from the Global South. You can find the opening for the new Executive Director here. 

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