Margarita Fernandez is an executive leader in international development, having managed, supervised and supported programs across public health, economic growth, and public-private partnerships globally. She has partnered with USAID, multilateral organizations, development banks, philanthropic foundations, and the private sector to implement high-impact development programs under contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements. Her experience includes long-term postings in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union, as well as extensive short-term assignments across Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
Margarita is the former Vice President of Global Operations and Management at IREX, a global development and education organization operating in more than 100 countries. In this role, she was responsible for strengthening the organization’s operational efficiency, resilience, agility, and management in support of IREX’s growth and impact. This included oversight to IREX’s global operations, risk management, data and information systems, security, and organizational health.
Prior to joining IREX, Margarita was Deputy Division Vice President at Abt’s International Public Health and International Development divisions, where she oversaw operations, risk management, financial management, and program quality. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM’s International Development Group, managing donor-funded bilateral and global initiatives.
Margarita is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and holds a BA in political science from Carleton College. She is a bilingual Spanish speaker, proficient in French, and speaks basic Romanian.