In just 11 years at the helm, AmeriCares CEO Curt Welling has overseen a fivefold increase in both the total amount of humanitarian aid that has been distributed and in the nonprofit”™s employees.
When he first took over as CEO of the Stamford nonprofit in 2002, AmeriCares ”” 20 years old at the time ”” had dispersed a total of $2 billion in aid around the globe and had about 45 employees. To date, the company has disbursed more than $11 billion in aid and employs about 250 people.
“Our mission is to help people live longer, healthier lives,” said Carol Shattuck, AmeriCares chief of staff. “When we look at what we”™ve done to reach more people, the numbers tell it all. Eighty percent of the aid we”™ve delivered has happened in last 11 years under Curt.”
After recently announcing plans to leave the company, Welling said it was the right time to step down. The nonprofit delivers medicine, medical supplies and aid throughout the United States and the world to improve global health and provide disaster relief, and has just completed a five-year strategic plan to increase its organizational impact.
“For the last 11 years of my life, after my family, AmeriCares has been the most important thing in my life,” Welling said. “It has been deeply rewarding for me at many levels. So this is very emotional. But I think it”™s the right time.”
Welling, 63, said he plans to stay at AmeriCares until a new CEO makes his or her transition into the company. Afterward, he plans to continue a few AmeriCares projects and possibly explore a new career in academia, teaching or speaking on the intersection between business and the nonprofit world. He also is open to starting a new job at another organization, he said.
Calling his reign at AmeriCares “your classic founder transition,” Welling said he was able to expand the organization simply by building on the foundation built by founder Bob Macauley, who died in 2010. Commonly, entrepreneurs will be passionate about the businesses they create, but can only carry it to certain point, Welling said.
Beyond that, he said it takes a new leader to make the investments necessary to bring the business to the next level. In the case of AmeriCares, Welling said he knew the company needed to make strategic investments in finance and technology. Then the challenge was in motivating employees to get on board with the company”™s new direction.
“The big thing is that you can”™t do it too quickly,” Welling said. “You can”™t walk into an organization with passionate people and say ”˜Out with the old and in with the new.”™ You need to show respect and give time for reflection and show people what the new organization can be.”
Welling said he is proud of how the organization has grown and how much more impactful it”™s been.
“We”™ve taken a very good idea and taken it to a new level of scale and impact,” he said. “I”™m proud of that.”
“People come to work here because they want to be here,” said Shattuck, who has worked with Welling since he first started at AmeriCares. “When you have a leader that is as passionate as the staff is and can motivate them to do even better, it”™s really exciting. It”™s been a great 11 years.”
