Press release: Walton Family Foundation Names New Executive Director

Article: New Executive Director at Walton Family Foundation by Carrie Walton Penner

“I’ve known Kyle for more than a decade. He has a remarkable ability to grasp complex problems, from community development to health care, understand the root causes of what is not working for people or communities, and articulate clear and actionable solutions that cut across sectors. Kyle has worked with me on a series of important studies and projects that have helped shift mindsets and actions of companies, funders, and NGOs. The Walton Family Foundation is in very capable hands, and this great institution will only get greater. Kyle has been a leader in building FSG, the organization that Mark Kramer and I founded 16 years ago. FSG has grown from a small organization to a major driver of ideas and practice in the social sector. Kyle has worked all across the sectors. In particular, he has seen the role that the private sector can play in solving the world’s toughest problems. Kyle has helped deepen and expand the concept of shared value through his research and advisory work to companies. He has been an advocate for the role that companies can play in advancing society concert with others actors. His role at the Walton Family Foundation will provide a big stage on which to continue his work in addressing crucial issues in education, the environment, and community development.
– Professor Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business School

"I'm inspired by Kyle's ability to envision a better, more just world built through partnership and creativity. I'm excited to watch him continue to create social impact and change as the executive director of the Walton Family Foundation, an institution rooted in the belief that empowering great people leads to great change. Kyle is a great leader, and I have no doubt he will empower others to make great change in our world."
– Barbara Bush, CEO and Founder of Global Health Corps

“Kyle Peterson – one of the great advocates for smarter philanthropy – is moving to the Walton Family Foundation. Kyle has been an incredible leader in innovation in this sector, and we at the UN Foundation look forward to the role he and they will play in driving greater impact.”
– Kathy Calvin, President & CEO, United Nations Foundation

“Kyle has always been inspiring to me because he’s such an open-minded, idealistic thinker who also has extensive, hard core experience working on-the-ground in social change. When I need to bounce an idea or explore a question about some social innovation issue, Kyle’s one of the first colleagues I call. I trust his judgment implicitly, and conversations with him are always generative and mind-opening. He’s also just one of the most genuine and warm-hearted people I know.”
– Leslie Crutchfield, co-author of Forces for Good and Do More Than Give

“I’ve known Kyle for many years, both personally and professionally. He’s a fantastic collaborator with a keen ability to create solutions that maximize impact. I look forward to the next chapter of his leadership in the social sector.”
– Chris Elias, President, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

"Kyle, we wish you godspeed on your next chapter with the Walton Family Foundation. Your wit and wise counsel will be missed and we are grateful for all your help. Your deep experience in social change, combined with your keen understanding of the philanthropic ecosystem and the power of innovation and new partnership, uniquely qualify you for foundation leadership."
– Neal Keny-Guyer, CEO, Mercy Corps

“We are thrilled that the Walton Family Foundation has chosen Kyle Peterson as their new executive director. Having worked closely with Kyle for the last 15 years at FSG, I know the foundation will benefit from Kyle’s inspiring leadership, commitment to social impact, personal warmth, and breadth of global experience on critical social issues.”
– Mark R. Kramer, Managing Director, FSG; and Senior Fellow, CSR Initiative

“Every once in a while, you come across someone who combines deep expertise with management acumen and natural leadership skills. Kyle Peterson is such a person. Knowing the values for which the Walton Family Foundation so firmly stands, and its commitment to results, I cannot think of a better match than Kyle.”
– Jane Wales, CEO of Global Philanthropy Forum, President and CEO of World Affairs Council, Vice President of Philanthropy and Society at the Aspen Institute