WaterAid welcomes new CEO Justin Murgai
November 9, 2022, Ottawa, Canada—WaterAid Canada’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Justin Murgai as the organization’s Chief Executive Officer, effective November 7, 2022. With over 16 years of experience in the humanitarian and development sectors, Justin has held various leadership roles overseeing welfare, mental health, education and empowerment of youth, refugees, survivors of systemic violence, and victims of human trafficking in North America and Southeast Asia. Most recently, as interim CEO of Engineers Without Borders, Justin oversaw Canadian and sub-Saharan African community development initiatives, social venture support mechanisms and advocacy campaigns targeted at alleviating social inequities and mitigating the impacts of climate change on disadvantaged communities.
A firm advocate for human rights, Justin has served on legislative committees, policy roundtables, and not-for-profit boards to advocate for the inclusion, integration, and welfare of youth, women, LGBTQ+, migrant and economically disadvantaged communities.
Justin is a strong believer in the power of community action to drive social change and is tenacious in his optimism to further WaterAid’s mandate. As he states:
“Access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene are at the root of unlocking greater security, health, equity, and opportunity for people to live dignified lives and break through generational barriers trapping them in cycles of poverty. I am thrilled to have the privilege of joining a passionate team and look forward to working with our donors and partners to develop innovative approaches for this issue that is arguably the most pressing globally.”
Justin will take over from Nicole Hurtubise, who served in this role for seven years until April 2022.
"The Board conducted an extensive competition for the CEO role and reviewed many highly qualified candidates before selecting Justin. Throughout the interview process it was clear that Justin had an innate ability to communicate WaterAid’s message with passion and clarity. His thoughtful, collaborative leadership style will fit in with the current high performing team at WaterAid Canada” noted Martin Munro, Chair of WaterAid Canada’s Board of Directors.
