The Nathan Cummings Foundation has announced the appointment of Kavita Nandini Ramdas as its new president and CEO, effective October 4.

Ramdas, who currently leads the Open Society Foundations' Women's Rights Program, will succeed interim president and CEO Rey Ramsey, who will continue to serve on the board and support the foundation's mission-aligned investing activities. Ramdas previously served as a strategy advisor for MADRE; led the Ford Foundation's operations in South Asia, then served as senior advisor to foundation president Darren Walker on global strategy; and served as president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women. She currently is on the boards of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Grist, an environmental justice organization, and has served on the boards of organizations including Princeton University, the General Service Foundation, the Women's Funding Network, and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

"We were looking for a unicorn, and we found her," said NCF board chair Jaimie Mayer. "She's one of those rare leaders who has searing intellect and genuine humility. She fearlessly speaks truth to power and constantly listens to the members of our communities with the least voice. Most important of all, she has a walk-through-walls commitment to pursuing justice for people and the planet."

"This is a dream role for me," said Ramdas. "NCF is one of the boldest foundations in the world in terms of its values, grants, impact investments, and shareholder activism. As a result, it is a critically important leader on racial justice and climate solutions, at an inflection moment when the world desperately needs to see America do the right thing."