The Chandler Foundation announced today the selection of South African economist, social entrepreneur, and global good governance champion Warren Krafchik as its second CEO.

Warren has been a long-time friend and partner of the Chandler Foundation.

He brings decades of experience building trust in government institutions including through greater transparency and accountability, stronger fiscal management, and improved service delivery. His work, with global institutions and civil society and government leaders in more than 120 countries, is grounded in a simple truth: good financial stewardship is one of the most powerful ways governments can demonstrate their values, earn public trust, and build a foundation for strong economies and flourishing communities.

Most recently, Warren founded and led the Fiscal Ecosystems Initiative, a global learning and action coalition, bringing together government, oversight, and non-state actors to test practical strategies for driving fiscal transparency and accountability reforms.  Earlier in his career, Warren served as the executive director of the International Budget Partnership, growing it from a start-up team of two into a leading international civil society organization focused on fiscal accountability with a staff of 80 and a $17 million annual budget. He also co-founded and served as first co-chair of the Open Government Partnership and led the multistakeholder discussions that established the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency.

“The Chandler Foundation’s theory of change aligns overwhelmingly with Warren’s personal and professional experience and convictions around the fundamental importance of integrity in governance,” said Tim Hanstad, outgoing Chandler Foundation CEO. “Through his work in diverse countries around the world, Warren has seen, first-hand, how capable, trusted, and collaborative public institutions serve as a necessary foundation for flourishing, high-trust societies that can deliver economic growth and opportunity for all.”

South Africa’s democratic transformation was a powerful force in shaping Warren’s career. Early on, Warren worked at the Institute for Democracy in South Africa and established the Impumelelo Innovations Awards to recognize public service excellence in post-Apartheid South Africa.  He later served as a founding board member of the Natural Resource Governance Institute, the Trust, Accountability, and Inclusion Collaborative, and on the ONE Campaign’s Africa advisory board.

“What makes the Chandler Foundation so distinctive to me is that it starts with respect for government’s role,” said Warren. “Lasting change happens when government leadership is matched by a genuinely enabling environment – where civil society, the private sector, and international institutions work in deep partnership with government, rather than parallel to government. The Chandler Foundation’s emphasis on partnership, practical implementation, and locally led solutions is what makes that kind of partnership real.”

The Chandler Foundation team couldn’t be more excited about what Warren brings to this role.

“Warren is a bridgebuilder with deep experience in fiscal governance, international institutions, coalition building, and leading highly impactful teams,” said Leslie Tsai, Director of Integrity Programs. “This combination makes Warren the natural next leader of the Chandler Foundation.”

Warren was drawn to the foundation’s operational model. “The Chandler Foundation’s proximity to the real work of governance reform is a huge asset,” said Warren. “The Chandler Foundation has developed an exciting role for itself – serving as a trusted partner, convenor, source of practical support, and, when it makes sense, a strategic funder.”

Warren joins the Chandler Foundation as its strategy continues to gain traction. The IMF and World Bank have sharpened their focus on good governance, transparency, and accountability as drivers of loan and investment performance. Zambia’s Anti-Corruption Commission has launched a series of groundbreaking efforts, including, most recently, a national curriculum aimed at building a culture of ethical leadership. The Chandler Governance Group launched a new tool to assess local governance capability and identify exactly where and how interventions can have the greatest impact.

Tim Hanstad, who has deftly steered the Chandler Foundation team over the last eight years – refining the Foundation’s strategy and cementing strategic partnerships – will be remaining on the Chandler Foundation board as its Vice Chair.