executive director - waldron · possible. to be considered, please go to waldron’s candidate...
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Executive Director
Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation | Executive Director
About the Organization
The Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation (LAAF.org) aims to be the leader in programs and resources at the intersection of women, giving and leadership. LAAF.org is an operating (non-grantmaking) foundation on a mission to inspire, educate and empower ALL individuals to give, live and lead in a way that matters more.
A young, evolutionary organization, LAAF.org democratizes access to free, highest quality digital educational resources and Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen’s decades of experience as a social entrepreneur, philanthropic leader and Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) academic. Currently LAAF.org fuels programs and research in three main program areas: giving, women in leadership and intentionally inclusive leadership (the Founder’s new model of “Legacy Leadership”). These initiatives include the Founder’s Stanford GSB courses and accompanying case studies, curricula and learning notes; The Legacy Leaders Speaker Series and additional leadership events; MOOCs; and other resources for givers and leaders at all stages.
For the next three to five years, LAAF.org’s primary programmatic focus is its women in leadership portfolio and the foundation’s resources will be allocated to create resources and drive impact in this area accordingly. During this period, the giving (formerly strategic philanthropy) portfolio will be reassessed to focus on individual giving, as well as identify opportunities to optimize LAAF.org’s approach for this program area such as partnering with other organizations to produce and disseminate content, potentially compressing the giving-focused GSB course into an accelerated format and more. Finally, the LAAF.org team will map the inclusive leadership ecosystem to determine what, if any, unique point of opportunity exists for the foundation beyond The Legacy Leaders Speaker Series that highlights the experiences and perspectives of diverse and intentionally inclusive leaders. At this time, there is no dedicated staff for the inclusive leadership portfolio.
The Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation office is in Menlo Park, CA. To learn more, visit LAAF.org.
Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation | Executive Director
LAAF.org is poised for its next step in organizational maturity with the hire of its first Executive Director (ED), who will report directly to the Founder. The organization is at a strategic inflection point in building a movement around the Founder’s thought leadership and research as it introduces two new portfolios of work (women in leadership and intentionally inclusive leadership) and reframes its value proposition in the offerings focused on giving.
The Executive Director will play a key role in identifying, communicating and executing a strategy that establishes LAAF.org as an essential online destination for free, high-quality resources related to these program areas for individuals of all backgrounds and resource levels. Leading and managing a small, high-performing staff, the ED will oversee the growth and promotion of LAAF.org’s digital presence and platforms, including online classes and a podcast, as well as curriculum and content development for the Founder’s Stanford courses. In addition, the ED will work closely with the Founder as she writes and launches a new book inspired by her Stanford GSB course, “Power of You: Women in Leadership,” as well as LAAF.org’s women in leadership work.
Strategy and LeadershipThe Executive Director will partner with the Founder to further define, hone and implement LAAF.org’s 3-5 year strategic plan and budget, incorporating elements of flexibility to allow for the emergent. The ED will lead staff and consultants to implement the strategy, holding them to high standards of excellence and timely delivery, and effectively communicating progress back to the Founder. The development of goals and work plans is a priority, and the ED will provide accountability for project management and deliverables on a quarterly and annual basis.
Organizational DevelopmentAs mentor and guide to staff, the Executive Director will ensure team and individual alignment with LAAF.org’s strategic goals. Operating from a nimble, cost-efficient mindset, the ED will evaluate roles and organizational structure to ensure high-performing professionals have clear roles and responsibilities, aligned to their strengths, to execute on LAAF.org’s goals. Meanwhile, the ED will be a strong advocate for LAAF.org’s culture, being proactive to embody and foster the values of collaboration, empowerment, inclusion, accountability, purpose-alignment, intellectual rigor and LAAFter.
Brand and ReachCapturing the Founder’s vision regarding LAAF.org’s audience, voice/tone and value proposition, the Executive Director will work to establish LAAF.org’s brand and reputation in the areas of women in leadership and intentionally inclusive leadership, while optimizing LAAF.org’s role and presence in the individual giving space. The ED will develop and lead the execution of a plan to build out LAAF.org’s digital content platform for high quality educational resources. The ED will catalyze and oversee the implementation of projects to increase diversity and reach of and engagement with LAAF.org’s resources and online presence including social media, website, blog and podcast mediums.
The Opportunity
Key Priorities
Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation | Executive Director
The Ideal Candidate
The Executive Director for LAAF.org is someone who is passionate about supporting the Founder’s calling and purpose to inspire, educate and empower others to actualize their philanthropic and leadership potential. Working with the Founder to think and plan strategically, the ideal candidate has a well-honed talent for leading staff to execute effectively on tactics, budget and operations, as well as making trade-offs as needed toward fulfilling strategic goals.
The Executive Director must have demonstrated experience in, as well as a strong strategic understanding of, the use of digital media to develop a cutting-edge content platform as well as establish and cultivate brand. Successful candidates also will have experience and facility with the latest technology and project management tools.
The work of LAAF.org has a strong integration with the Founder’s academic work with Stanford University and the Stanford GSB. As such, while the Executive Director need not be a career academic, successful candidates will embrace the intellectual rigor and academic pursuits at the center of LAAF.org’s work. Affinity with the Stanford community is a plus.
Successful candidates will excel at managing a small, high-performing team, with significant experience developing staff members; providing guidance and accountability to set goals and ensure timely and high-quality completion of deliverables; and creating a collaborative and joyful team culture.
The Executive Director is confident and decisive, and a consultative driver of tangible outcomes who acts as a thought partner and anticipates the needs of the Founder. The successful candidate is a self-starter and excellent multi-tasker, adaptive to new projects, and an endlessly curious learner, who thrives under pressure and loves challenge. This individual is also able to clearly and confidently communicate opportunities and issues to Founder and propose reasonable paths for resolution.
The ideal candidate has experience working in a variety of organizations and types of teams including different sizes, structures, sectors, etc. Highly desirable experience includes management roles within the social sector, significant board service, philanthropy and/or skilled volunteer management. Successful candidates will be well versed in social sector issues and trends.
A strong culture fit with LAAF.org and its Founder is imperative. Characteristics that indicate a strong fit include being empathetic, humble and collaborative. The overall tone of LAAF.org and its work is relentlessly positive. High emotional intelligence is essential; the successful candidate will be a natural listener, persuasive communicator, leader of collaboration and includer of diverse viewpoints. The selected candidate will be someone who demonstrates the highest level of integrity, confidentiality and grace at all times.
Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation | Executive Director
Candidates must have a minimum of 10 years of professional experience, including significant experience developing digital content platforms, as well as managing teams and developing people in a workplace setting. Enthusiasm for leading mission-driven teams, projects or other groups is a must. Candidates ideally have an advanced degree in management and/or administration (e.g., MBA, MPA, MPM).
A demonstrated interest in education, women’s leadership, giving and philanthropy and related content development is fundamental. Candidates must have experience launching new programs, initiatives and/or products that integrate digital and social media. A track record of creating strategy, then developing strategic plans with clear projects, budgets and outcome measures to gauge success is essential.
Minimum Qualifications
LAAF.org is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. To be considered, please go to Waldron’s Candidate Portal and submit your resume and a cover letter expressing your passion for the mission and fit for the role.
The search for an Executive Director is being assisted by a team from Waldron:
Jenn Raley Miller Search Director
Direct: 415.829.3756
Jeff Waldron Principal
Direct: 415.529.2150
To Be Considered
Sonia Marroquin Senior Search Associate
Direct: 415.646.4028
waldronhr.com
Waldron is honored to work with the Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation in the search for an
Executive Director. We believe in and support the work of LAAF.org, and we are doing our best to
recruit a talented leader who will accelerate this mission. As the consulting partner strategic leaders
choose to help attract, engage, and inspire effective leaders, Waldron provides a unique combination of
executive search, leadership development, and career transition services across sectors and industries.
Our passion is helping people and organizations realize their full potential and increase their impact.
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