One of India’s largest education NGOs, Pratham, announced on July 15 that Manisha Bharti has been named the first chief executive officer of Pratham USA and Global Executive. Bharti’s post takes effect in September.
“There is such a need for the kind of grassroots, high-quality education Pratham provides with its community-based and digital platforms that are increasingly global in scope,” Bharti was quoted as saying in a statement. “I’m excited and humbled by this opportunity to help shepherd and co-author Pratham’s next chapter. I look forward to working with the global team to deepen Pratham’s impact in India and share its learnings to improve education around the world.”
Bharti has previously held senior leadership positions at FHI 360 and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She has over 25 years of professional experience in global development.
Indian-American Bharti is chief of strategy and programs at GHR Foundation, a philanthropic organisation in Minnesota. There, she takes care of a grant portfolio within health, education and international development.
Pratham has in recent years witnessed massive growth with high acclaim and demand for its expertise not just in the country but also globally.
“The position of Chief Executive Officer and Global Executive has been established to unify Pratham’s business development, strategy and communications,” Deepak Raj, chairman of Pratham USA, said in a statement. “Manisha’s appointment marks a significant commitment by the organisation to strengthen our U.S. chapters while enhancing our brand globally and improving alignment across regions,” he added.
“Manisha is ideally suited for this role. Throughout her career, she has driven change, scaled organisations and displayed a talent for bringing people together—invaluable assets for helping shape Pratham’s future,” said Madhav Chavan, co-founder and president of Pratham.
“We are delighted to have someone of Manisha’s caliber joining us at this pivotal moment for our organisation. Our India and U.S. teams have always worked very closely with one another, but this was particularly true during COVID,” Banerji said in a statement. “Together, we can go from strength to strength while at the same time supporting the growth of our international work. With her background and experience, Manisha will be an integral part of this next phase of Pratham,” said Pratham CEO Dr Rukmini Banerji.
Until the transition is complete, Executive Director Bala Venkatachalam will continue to be in his position. After the completion of the transition, he will assume a new global role within the organisation.
