Neal Keny-Guyer is a social entrepreneur committed to creating a more just and peaceful world. A native of Tennessee, Keny-Guyer holds a B.A. in Public Policy and Religion from Duke University, an M.A. in Public and Private Management from Yale University, and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Portland State University, Oregon.
Keny-Guyer joined Mercy Corps in 1994 as chief executive officer. Under his aegis, Mercy Corps has emerged as a leading international humanitarian and development organization with ongoing operations in 40 countries, a staff of 4,000 and an operating budget of over $300 million. Keny-Guyer has forged new directions at Mercy Corps, most notably implementing global mergers and strategic alliances, placing human rights, civil society and social entrepreneurship at the forefront of Mercy Corps’ humanitarian mission, and building an organizational reputation for groundbreaking, innovative programming in the world’s toughest environments.
Keny-Guyer began his career with Communities In Schools in 1976 working with at-risk youth in the inner cities of Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Ga. Keny-Guyer then moved to Thailand in 1980 to focus on Cambodia’s refugees and war victims for CARE/UNICEF. In 1982, he began his tenure with Save the Children.
As Save the Children’s director of Middle East, North Africa and Europe, Keny-Guyer managed a $44 million budget and supervised 900 staff in 10 countries. He designed and implemented high-impact relief and development programs in some of the most war-torn and politically sensitive regions on earth, including Lebanon, West Bank/Gaza and Sudan.
In 1990, Keny-Guyer undertook his toughest assignment, as a stay-at-home dad for his first child, while launching strategic planning and organizational development consulting to businesses, foundations and non-profit agencies.
Neal Keny-Guyer is on the Board of Trustees of the Yale Corporation and also serves on the Yale President’s Council on International Affairs and the Board of Advisors of the Yale School of Management (SOM). In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors of InterAction, ImagineNations and the Nike Foundation’s Advisory Board. Neal Keny-Guyer lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Alissa – who is an Oregon state legislator – and their three children.