The planned departure of a seven-year CEO and the appointment of an 18-year veteran from within the ranks marks a defining moment for a charity tackling some of the world’s most overlooked health crises. Effect Hope’s board announced this week that Kim Evans will retire at the end of January 2027, handing the reins to Dr. Anna Wickenden, the organization’s current Vice-President of Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships.
A planned transition marks a new chapter for Effect Hope, building on a strong foundation, and commitment to people affected by neglected tropical diseases.
To have the opportunity to lead Effect Hope, alongside our incredible team and partners, and continue challenging the injustice of neglected tropical diseases is an extraordinary privilege.”— Dr. Anna Wickenden, Incoming CEO
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MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, November 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Effect Hope’s Board of Directors has confirmed that Chief Executive Officer Kim Evans will step down at the close of January 2027, concluding seven years at the helm. Dr. Anna Wickenden, who currently serves as Vice-President of Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships, has been tapped to become the next CEO effective Jan. 31, 2027.
This leadership shift comes as Effect Hope builds on more than 130 years of partnership with communities affected by neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) across Africa and Asia.
Evans will remain in charge until the end of January, working closely with Wickenden during a transitional overlap designed to ensure organizational continuity, sustain momentum, and deliver a confident handover of leadership.
A hallmark of Evans’ tenure has been reshaping Effect Hope into an organization built not just for the present but for the long haul. At a critical juncture in the organization’s evolution, she introduced a long-term vision focused on what Effect Hope needed to become to serve people affected by NTDs: resilient enough to withstand disruption, adaptable enough to navigate a changing world, and firmly anchored where its work can make the biggest difference.
That transformation unfolded amid extraordinary upheaval. Just six months into Evans’ leadership, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered unprecedented global disruption, followed by major shifts in global health. Throughout it all, Evans kept Effect Hope grounded in what matters most: the people and communities at the heart of its mission and where the organization can have the greatest impact.
Under her direction, Effect Hope evolved from its historic roots in leprosy toward a broader, people-centred approach to NTDs—one focused on stronger health systems, equity, and sustainable access to care. Today, that means addressing not only disease but the systemic barriers that prevent millions from receiving care.
Reflecting on the upcoming transition, Evans said:
“Serving as CEO of Effect Hope has been the honour of my life. To have played even a small part in seeing lives changed forever is something I will carry with me always. As I prepare for retirement, I am deeply encouraged to know that the organization’s future will be shaped by a leader who cares so profoundly about the people we serve. They are at the heart of Anna’s leadership, and her vision for Effect Hope has always been rooted in how we can serve them better. For many years, she has helped us imagine what Effect Hope can become. I have tremendous confidence in where she will lead Effect Hope next.”
Dr. Anna Wickenden has been an integral part of Effect Hope’s work for 18 years, contributing to the development and implementation of its International Programs. A respected global health leader with more than 20 years of experience in health systems strengthening and NTDs, she has helped shape Effect Hope’s strategic direction, strengthen international partnerships, and advance advocacy and policy engagement globally.
Wickenden chairs the World Health Organization’s Skin NTD Advocacy and Communications Group and serves on the steering group of the Canadian Network for NTDs. She has also held advisory roles on major global health policy initiatives, including the World Health Organization Global Action Plan on Skin Diseases as a global public health priority, and has presented Effect Hope’s work at multiple international and national forums. She holds a PhD in Global Health from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, where her research focused on integrated strategies for sustainable and equitable NTD programming and health-system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
“Anna’s appointment reflects the Board’s confidence in her leadership and in the future of Effect Hope,” said Randy Henderson, Chair of the Board of Directors. “Her academic rigour, internationally recognized leadership and contributions to global NTD policy are matched by nearly two decades of service to this organization and to people affected by NTDs. She brings the experience, relationships and strategic perspective needed to lead Effect Hope into its next chapter.”
For Wickenden, this is more than a career; it’s a calling.
“When I first joined Effect Hope (then The Leprosy Mission Canada), in 2007, I was at the beginning of my career, with something of an activist’s heart and a deep belief in justice and the potential of every person. One of my first assignments took me to northern Nigeria. I remember the children with a neglected tropical disease called Noma recovering from surgery, who would wait for me every evening to play games and borrow my pens. I remember women affected by leprosy rebuilding their lives together, and Binta, who was experiencing extraordinary pain from a severe reaction to her leprosy treatment. I came home both profoundly changed and challenged. I had witnessed terrible, unnecessary suffering, but also extraordinary warmth, humour, ingenuity, and hope. I began to understand how much these diseases and the neglect surrounding them can take from a person’s life, but also how much becomes possible when people have access to the care and support they deserve.
Nearly 20 years later, it is still the people who inspire me. Once you have seen both the injustice of that suffering and what becomes possible when we refuse to accept it, walking away becomes impossible. To have the opportunity to lead Effect Hope, alongside our incredible team and partners, and continue challenging that injustice is an extraordinary privilege.”
Randy Henderson added, “As Anna steps into this role, she does so with the full confidence of the Board and with a deep understanding of who Effect Hope is and what we are called to do. This is a moment of continuity and of possibility, as we continue working toward a world where no one is neglected because of disease.”
About Effect Hope: Effect Hope is a Canadian Christian global health organization supporting people affected by neglected tropical diseases. For more than 130 years, the organization has worked with governments, communities and local partners to strengthen health systems, expand access to inclusive care, and help people overcome disease, disability and discrimination. Its work is supported by institutional partners and thousands of generous Canadians.
Breanna Willock
Effect Hope
bwillock@effecthope.org
Why it matters: This leadership transition signals stability and strategic continuity for an organization that has spent over a century fighting diseases the world often ignores. With a new CEO drawn from nearly two decades of internal experience, Effect Hope is positioned to sustain its shift from a leprosy-focused mission to a broader fight against neglected tropical diseases—work that directly affects millions who still lack access to basic care.
