Binaifer Nowrojee named president of Open Society Foundations

Indian-origin human rights lawyer Binaifer Nowrojee has been appointed the new president of The Open Society Foundations, founded by billionaire investor George Soros, promoting democratic principles and human rights, through grants in more than 100 countries.

Kenya-born Nowrojee, who currently serves as the vice president of Programs, will take over from Mark Malloch-Brown when he steps down from his role in June 2024, according to a media release.

“She embodies the spirit of OSF, past and present. I am confident she will ably lead OSF into the challenging next phase of our work,” said Alex Soros, chair of OSF.

“When I established the Open Society Foundations, I wanted them to be truly global,” said Soros. “At the outset, that was merely an aspiration. But now I feel that this ambition has been fulfilled with Binaifer Nowrojee as president of the Foundations, supported by an international team.”

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Nowrojee brings over three decades of experience and dedication to her new role. Previously, she has held a range of senior positions at OSF, including East Africa Foundation director, regional director for Asia Pacific, and vice president for Organizational Transformation.

“Heading this remarkable institution, the world’s largest funder of human rights, at a time when justice and compassion are under siege, is by far the biggest, and best, challenge I have ever faced. I am proud to be president and stand ready to join my colleagues in the fight,” said Nowrojee.

Nowrojee navigates politically sensitive operating environments to drive meaningful change, the release said. Her strategic leadership spans national, regional, and international levels, encompassing policy research, campaigning, grant-making, litigation, and investment.

Nowrojee brings deep expertise in Africa and Asia, where she has spearheaded advocacy initiatives to promote social justice and equality. She played a central role in orchestrating a significant strategic and structural realignment of Open Society, enhancing its capacity to effect change in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

Prior to her tenure at OSF, Nowrojee served as legal counsel at Human Rights Watch and as a staff attorney at the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. She has worked extensively on prosecuting sexual violence under international law and testified as an expert witness at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

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Nowrojee’s commitment to advancing justice extends to academia, where she has served as a lecturer at Harvard Law School and was awarded a Carr Center fellowship.

Nowrojee holds a JD from Columbia Law School and an LLM degree from Harvard Law School, underscoring her strong academic foundation and expertise in international law and human rights.

With her wealth of experience and unwavering dedication, Nowrojee is well-equipped to lead the Open Society Foundations into a new era of impactful and transformative change, the release stated.

Nowrojee follows in the footsteps of her father, Pheroze Nowrojee, an acclaimed human rights lawyer who currently serves as senior counsel to the High Court of Kenya.

The Nowrojee family migrated from India to Kenya in 1896 to work on the railroads. Pheroze Nowrojee has written a book about the family’s migration: “A Kenyan Journey,” released in 2019.