Cathy Ross is an independent consultant with extensive experience managing strategy, program, and operations. She has served in leadership roles in organizations dedicated to human rights, community development, environmental sustainability, and democratic governance.

At the Open Society Foundations, Cathy was director of operations and integration for the Latin America Program, overseeing and improving systems and processes to strengthen program strategy, execution and effectiveness, as well as business operations and budgeting. The high-performing team she led became known for its innovative problem-solving and inclusive culture. She led the establishment of new regional offices in Bogotá and Mexico City and served on organization-wide strategy groups for strategy, evaluation, and learning.

With Oxfam America, based in Lima, she designed and led the Amazon program in Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, focused on strengthening indigenous peoples’ organizations to advocate for their communities; to secure and defend land rights; and to protect and manage natural resources. In collaboration with the Woods Hole Research Center, she developed an innovative way to measure the impact of a 10-year grant to preserve existing forests (and their carbon stores) on indigenous-held lands. She co-led the creation of Oxfam’s program on extractive industries, advocating changes in the policies and practices of corporations, governments, and multilateral institutions.

Between those two long-term institutional roles, Cathy researched and wrote business case studies for the Harvard Business School, and collaborated with faculty to develop a course called “Leading and managing highly effective non-profit organizations.” As an independent consultant, she has carried out program and institutional evaluations and advised organizations on strategy, program design, and operations. Cathy holds a Masters’ degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a BA from Stanford University.