In a speech at OEGlobal 2024 in Brisbane, Australia, OEGlobal Board Chair, Perrine de Coëtlogon, and Connie Blomgren, Vice-Chair of the Board, announced that long-time OEGlobal staff members, Marcela Morales and Igor Lesko, were officially endorsed as the co-Exectuvie Directors of Open Education Global (OEGlobal). Marcela and Igor have been leading OEGlobal as interim co-EDs for the previous 18 months.
In her speech, Perrine wanted to assure members of the OEGlobal 2024 audience and the wider Open Education community that this decision did not come without careful consideration and thorough investigation to ensure stability and sustainability for the organisation.
“Governance and infrastructure are important – the board is in charge of this, and also of hiring the director. In recent years, we have seen the need to undertake highly demanding transitions. In the Open fields, we want these changes to be made with the full consent and involvement of those carrying them out. Much is being said about climate, digital, social, and demographic transitions, yet in many organisations, a leadership transition must take place. ‘Reinventing Organizations’ is a book that encourages people to transform leadership from within. This is what we as a Board sought to achieve by establishing better dialogue between Open Education Global team and Board members. We recruited and collectively worked with a consultant skilled in active listening methods and emerging leadership models.
“In parallel, we revised our bylaws, notably recognizing individual members of Open Education Global, and increasing the number of appointed members to enhance missing representation. Such appointed experts can come from an underrepresented country or have expertise in openness. The new bylaws have also installed the possibility of a co-leadership model. Indeed, the tasks and challenges when the leader is alone can be particularly demanding in a global organisation.”
With the organisation in the capable hands of Marcela and Igor as interim co-executive directors, the Board could pursue and complete the various investigations, consultations and processes required to appoint Marcela and Igor as Executive Directors formally. As Perrine explained:
“Through that work, with the commitment of all the team, which we hereby acknowledge, we have arrived at a clear path forward. Open Education Global from now evolves into an organization with hierarchical functioning involving consultative decision-making on specific areas.
“As the result of these combined efforts, we are pleased to announce that Marcela Morales and Igor Lesko have been appointed by the Board as Co-Directors of Open Education Global. Both are the longest-serving employees of Open Education Global and deeply dedicated to its mission.”
Please join the OEGlobal Board of Directors and OEGlobal Staff in congratulating Marcela and Igor on their new roles as Co-Executive Directors of Open Education Global.