Dhivya O’Connor, interim chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, is to take up the top role at the education charity United World Schools.
O’Connor joined the CIoF in May as interim successor to Peter Lewis.
The membership body announced earlier this week that Katie Docherty would become its permanent chief executive from October.
O’Connor, who will take up her new role in November, is a former chief executive of the charity Children with Cancer UK.
She is founder and producer of The Charity CEO Podcast, a trustee of Book Aid International and has previously spent time volunteering with NGOs in India, South Africa and Cambodia, the latter being one of the countries in which UWS operates.
UWS builds schools for some of the world’s poorest children.
Before joining the voluntary sector, O’Connor worked in a variety of roles for organisations in the private sector including Lloyds Bank.
At UWS she will succeed Tim Howarth, who is to step down in November after 10 years in post.
Peter Taylor, chair of UWS, said: “Dhivya’s corporate and charity leadership experience, passion for children’s causes and her track record of driving growth make her ideally placed to lead UWS on the next steps of the organisation’s exciting journey.”
O’Connor said: “Primary education is one of the best tools we can offer disadvantaged children to enable them to create a better life for themselves and ultimately to create a better world.
“I am excited to build on the excellent work of the UWS team to date and to lead the organisation through its next phase of growth.”