Derek Ferguson Announced as Interim CEO of Robin Hood

New York, NY – Today, Derek Ferguson stepped into the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer at New York’s largest poverty-fighting organization, Robin Hood. Ferguson has been serving as Robin Hood’s Chief Operating Officer since December 2017 and will act as the transitional leader until a permanent replacement is identified. Wes Moore announced his intention to step down as CEO in February and departed from Robin Hood on May 14, 2021.

Early this spring, the Robin Hood Board of Directors appointed a CEO search committee chaired by board vice chair Dina Powell McCormick. Additionally, the committee includes Robin Hood’s co-founder and board member Paul Tudor Jones, board chair John Griffin, and board members Geoffrey Canada and Mary Erdoes.

“At a time when the fight against poverty has never been more urgent, we’re grateful to Derek Ferguson for taking the helm of Robin Hood as the Interim CEO, as we seek out Wes Moore’s replacement,” said John Griffin, board chair of Robin Hood. “Derek has been a remarkable COO in his four-year tenure with Robin Hood, and his background as an entrepreneur, community leader, and business executive will be critical to this transition.”

Prior to joining Robin Hood, Ferguson was chief operating officer of Revolt Media & TV and chief growth officer of Combs Enterprises. Before joining Combs Enterprises, Ferguson was vice president of finance and operations for BMG Special Products, a division of BMG Entertainment. He was previously a manager at Bain and Company and an auditor and mergers and acquisitions analyst at Coopers and Lybrand. Ferguson is a 1990 graduate of Harvard Business School and a 1985 graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He was born and raised in the Bronx and graduated from Stuyvesant High School.

Robin Hood has been fighting poverty in New York City since 1988. Because Robin Hood’s board covers administrative expenses, every dollar donated is invested in poverty-fighting programs that create meaningful change for those in need. Last year, Robin Hood awarded $172 million in grants, filling a critical void during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing cash assistance, meals, housing, healthcare, and other urgent needs to one million New Yorkers impacted by COVID, as well as funding an array of programs and initiatives developed to directly address the systemic underpinnings of poverty in New York City.