Leadership team
LINDSAY GLASSCO, PRESIDENT & CEO, PLAN INTERNATIONAL CANADA
Lindsay Glassco is a dynamic leader with 25+ years of experience developing and managing social policies and programs in diverse environments worldwide. Driven by a passion to make a meaningful contribution to sustainable development and social change, her work has spanned across sectors, including not-for-profit, government, the UN and the private sector.
Before joining Plan, Lindsay was based in Geneva, Switzerland acting as Secretary General of CARE International. Prior to her time at CARE, she held executive roles which included Director of International Cooperation and Development for the International Olympic Committee, President and CEO of Special Olympics Canada, and Global Director of Policy and Strategy for Right to Play (RTP). Her experience reflects a successful track record in areas such as organizational leadership, strategic planning, operational management, government and stakeholder relations and fundraising, among others.
Earlier in her career, Lindsay spent close to a decade working for the Government of Canada, including at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (now Global Affairs Canada). She also worked as a food security consultant for UN organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), UN Volunteers and the UN Development Programme.
Lindsay has developed a wide breadth of knowledge acquiring subject matter expertise in global health, early child and youth development, education, gender equality, food security, human rights, and disability. With a strong interest in people and a desire to deepen her understanding of the common threads that bind us as global citizens, Lindsay’s work has taken her around the world. Since first beginning her international career teaching at a high school in rural Lesotho, she has lived and worked globally – visiting over 60 countries. This has enabled her to establish a strong sense of her place in the world, strengthen her appreciation for cultural differences and further recognize the importance of human dignity, equality and inclusion.
Throughout her career, Lindsay has been rewarded for her people-oriented and collaborative management skills and honoured with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013 for her significant contributions to community development in Canada. She seeks to bring this people-centric and community focused approach to all facets of her life and is guided dutifully by her North Star – making an impactful contribution to social change.