Effect Hope Announces Leadership Transition: Kim Evans to Retire, Dr. Anna Wickenden Appointed Incoming CEO

A planned transition marks a new chapter for Effect Hope, building on a strong foundation, and commitment to people affected by neglected tropical diseases.

MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, November 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Effect Hope’s Board of Directors announced today that Chief Executive Officer Kim Evans will retire at the end of January 2027, after seven years of dedicated leadership. Dr. Anna Wickenden, currently Vice-President, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships, has been appointed Effect Hope’s next CEO, effective Jan. 31, 2027.

The transition comes as Effect Hope builds on more than 130 years of partnership with communities affected by neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) across Africa and Asia.

Kim will continue to lead Effect Hope until the end of January, working closely with Anna during this transition period. Their overlap will support organizational continuity, maintain momentum, and ensure a confident handover of leadership.

One of the defining contributions of Kim’s leadership has been helping build Effect Hope into an organization equipped not only for today, but for the future. At a formative point in the organization’s evolution, Kim brought a long-term focus to what Effect Hope needed to be to serve people affected by NTDs: resilient enough to withstand disruption, adaptable enough to respond to a changing world and firmly anchored in where its work can make the greatest difference.

That transformation has unfolded through extraordinary change. Just six months into Kim’s tenure, the COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented global disruption, followed by significant shifts in global health. Throughout, Kim has 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 leadership, Effect Hope has evolved from its historic roots in leprosy toward a broader, people-centred approach to NTDs, 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, Kim 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.

Anna 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 the work of Effect Hope and its partners 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 Anna, 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