press-release

Counterpart International Names Derek Hodkey Chief Operating Officer

October 16, 2014

Arlington, VA (October 16, 2014) – Counterpart International is pleased to announce the appointment of Derek Hodkey as Chief Operating Officer. 

“We are thrilled to have Derek on the Counterpart team. He will ensure that we get maximum program impact in the 25 countries where we work. Derek knows how to align field and headquarters’ teams to execute fast and smart, from the beginning of a program to its conclusion,” said Joan Parker, CEO of Counterpart.

Hodkey comes to Counterpart from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), where he served as Executive Director of R&D Global Operations for the past three years and as Senior Director of the Project Management Office and R&D Operations from 2007 to 2011. R&D represents approximately 80 percent of IAVI’s organizational budget and resources, and Hodkey was responsible for the global R&D operations network in the U.S., Europe, Africa and India.

Hodkey also brings private sector experience to Counterpart. At Cambridge Healthtech Associates, Inc., he served as Chief Operations Officer and General Manager of Pathways. At Vertex Pharmaceuticals he was Senior Director of Program Management and Strategic Planning. He began his career as a chemist at Merck & Co., where he took on various roles until his promotion to Director of Resource & Research Planning, Project Planning & Development. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Akron and an M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson.

“After all those years in the for-profit sector, I got the non-profit bug. Once you have it, you can’t go back,” said Hodkey. “From a chemist’s lens, I still look at how separate elements need to work together for the greatest impact. Counterpart has all the right elements – talent, passion and a deep respect for collaboration with local partners. It’s an honor to be here.”

“As we move into our 50th year of global impact, Derek’s arrival is perfectly timed,” said CEO Parker. “Derek will be a key leader in building the operational systems we need to ensure the contributions we make going forward will help people achieve broad and lasting improvements in their lives.”


Counterpart International helps people build better lives and more durable futures, community by community. For 50 years, Counterpart has been an innovator, changing the way people look at, and solve, global development challenges. Today, we are working with more than 3,500 local organizations, and more than 150,000 leaders — including women and youth — in 24 countries around the world. Learn more at counterpart.org.