Our Leadership

John H. N. Potter is a Partner of Strategy & PwC’s strategy consulting business, where he advises global clients on matters of strategy, operations, mergers & acquisitions. He joined PwC through the acquisition of Booz & Company, where he was the U.K. Managing Partner, and led the integration of the two firms. Previously, he spent more than 20 years at Booz & Company and precursor firm Booz Allen Hamilton, helping clients first in North America, then relocating to the U.K. to serve clients in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Prior to consulting, John flew aircraft for the U.S. Navy, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander. John served on the Board of Directors of Booz & Company and Project Concern International (most recently as Chair). John received a bachelor’s degree from Yale University, a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Northwestern University), and an M.M.M. from the McCormick School of Engineering (Northwestern University).

Joseph Abbate is a finance executive with more than 20 years of experience in finance with companies such as ResMed, Cymer, Sunrise Medical, Brooktree Semiconductor, and Unisys, with his role just prior to ResMed as CFO of a software startup. In addition to his primary responsibilities of strategic financial planning and operational management, he has developed his roles more broadly to include operations, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, and joint ventures.

He received a bachelor’s degree in Finance from San Diego State University and a Master’s of Business Administration from West Coast University. Joe served on Project Concern International’s Board of Directors since 2012 and after our merger has continued to serve on Global Communities’ Board of Directors.

Dr. Hillary Thomas-Lake is a senior international development professional with more than 25 years of international development experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Her areas of expertise include philanthropy and partnership development, democracy and governance, conflict management, community-based social enterprises, corporate social investment, negotiation and mediation across a range of international development sectors, including inclusive social and economic growth, with the principal focus regions of the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa.

Hillary is the founder and CEO of the Washington-based international development consulting firm HillTop Development Strategies, where she provides technical direction in the design, implementation, management and evaluation of ethical international development projects and initiatives. She has particular expertise in Africa and the Caribbean, with long-standing experience in Haiti. Previously, Hillary was the managing director and co-founder of LTL Strategies. She designed and implemented development strategies and projects for clients in more than 40 African countries, the Caribbean and Latin America. Additionally, she has worked with the WorldSpace Foundation, the Africa-America Institute, the United States Department of State and Africare, Inc., based in Senegal.

Hillary is fluent in eight languages, including French, Portuguese, Haitian Kreyòl and Spanish. Hillary holds a bachelor’s degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, a master’s degree in International Public Policy, a master’s degree in International Relations and a doctorate in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Karen Paterson is a Director of Stone Steps Foundation, a San Diego-based philanthropy dedicated to advancing social and economic justice through innovative and scalable solutions to the problems of poverty. Prior to Stone Steps, Karen was a founding director of Moxie Foundation, where she led the organization’s initiatives in social entrepreneurship and sustainable development for nine years. Before focusing exclusively on philanthropy, she had a long career as a senior marketing executive – working in niche ad agencies and large department store companies before co-founding The Sutherland Agency, a global ad agency with offices in the US and UK.

Karen is a board member of Acumen and previously served on the boards of Street Business School and Project Concern International (PCI). She received a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Antioch College.

With a background in international relations, Nancy Plaxico has spent most of her career in health care as an entrepreneur, working in both the public and private sectors. After receiving Master’s Degrees from Columbia University, she began work at the US State Department and later moved to the Office of Management and Budget, where her career in health care began and she covered the Centers for Disease Control and Food & Drug Administration. After moving to San Diego, she became a founder of Community Care Network (CCN), a health care management company which grew to be national. CCN was also a social enterprise, with most of its profits going to a foundation she helped found, Alliance Healthcare Foundation. When CCN was sold, $83 million of the proceeds went to create an endowment for the foundation, which continues to fund innovative community health programs. In recognition for CCN’s development, she was named an Entrepreneur of the Year in San Diego. She was later an executive in other health care start-up companies, most recently as Vice President of Healthways which served 68 million people globally.

She is on the boards of international, national and local non-profit organizations, and was Managing Director of the PCI board before PCI’s merger with Global Communities, when she joined the Global Communities board.