KKR, a leading global investment firm, recently announced the appointment of Pamela Alexander as Managing Director and Head of Corporate Citizenship, effective immediately. According to the KKR sources, Ms. Alexander joins KKR from Ford Motor Company, where she spent more than two decades in senior community development and government relations roles. Most recently, Ms. Alexander was Director of Community Development for the Ford Motor Company Fund (the “Ford Fund”), the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, where she directed and led community engagement for the United States.
As per the firm’s statement based in New York, Ms. Alexander will overview the development and execution of KKR’s corporate citizenship and strategic philanthropy programs globally and will also serve as a resource on citizenship to KKR’s portfolio companies.
KKR’s official statement further added that during her tenure at the Ford Fund, Ms. Alexander directed the development of numerous signature CSR programs, that comprised Driving Skills for Life, a national driving safety initiative for teens; HerImpact, which offers grants to emerging female entrepreneurs; Ford 1st Gen, an educational initiative aimed at increasing the graduation rates of first-generation college students; and Men of Courage, which distinguishes the accomplishments of African-American men.
KKR also further explained that Ms. Alexander also overviewed the Ford Fund’s philanthropic response to COVID in the United States, which comprised out a small business grant program, an emergency fund designed to assist college students with basic needs and technology, and aided for first responders and frontline workers throughout the United States.
According to KKR sources, Ms. Alexander also serves on a number of nonprofit boards including the GRAMMY Museum Foundation, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the NAACP Foundation, the Congressional Award Foundation and the Dean’s Advisory Committee of the University of Michigan’s School of Dentistry.
Ken Mehlman, Partner, Global Head of Public Affairs, and Co-Head of Global Impact at KKR commented on Pamela Alexander’s appointment stating: “We believe that purpose and citizenship work hand-in-hand to drive performance and employee engagement. Our employees care deeply about their communities and we want to provide the best possible platform and resources for them to have a positive impact on the world around them. I am thrilled to welcome Pamela to our team and am confident that her impressive track record of driving impactful citizenship initiatives and building strong relationships with non-profits and community leaders will be invaluable to us as we continue to build out this platform for the benefit of our employees, investors, portfolio companies and their communities.”
Ms. Alexander stated: “I am honored to be joining a company that shares my passion for community engagement and belief in the power that corporate citizenship can have in driving positive impact and empowering people and communities to reach their full potential. I look forward to building and expanding upon this important work through my new role at KKR and am excited for what’s ahead.”
Dr. Bernice A. King, the youngest daughter of Civil Rights icons, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King stated: “As CEO of The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, I have had the privilege of working with Pamela Alexander on many programs over the years and have witnessed her passion and success empowering people and communities. I am excited to see her join the KKR team as Head of Corporate Citizenship, and know that together they will drive positive impacts and help build what my father called the ‘beloved community’ around the world.”
KKR claimed that they have launched its citizenship platform in 2016 to empower the Firm, its employees and its portfolio companies to help create healthier, more inclusive and more resilient communities around the world. They also claimed that KKR’s citizenship efforts have centered on KKR’s Covid Relief Fund, a $50 million effort to support those most impacted by the pandemic and its resulting economic dislocation. The effort aims to do this globally through four key pillars: supporting portfolio company employees, engaging KKR’s employees as leaders and change-makers, assisting small businesses and providing grants to leading nonprofits that support vulnerable communities, create pathways for workforce and education recovery, and help public servants and frontline workers.
KKR’s statement also revealed that since launching the Covid Relief Fund in 2020, it has provided funding to more than 150 nonprofit organizations in 17 nations and has aided 278 small businesses, 74% of which reported that receiving a grant from KKR made the difference in their ability to survive the pandemic.
KKR claims to have also encouraged its employees to engage with nonprofits and give back to their communities through its KKR Cares initiative, which includes a matching gifts program, 40 hours of paid time annually to volunteer with community projects and nonprofit organizations, nonprofit board placement and pro-bono consulting and technical assistance to nonprofits and social enterprises. As an outcome:
More than 120 KKR employees have been placed on nonprofit boards across the United States and Europe.
KKR employees have collectively volunteered 20,000+ hours working with 300+ nonprofits around the world. KKR employees gave a record $10 million to nonprofits through KKR’s matching gifts program in 2021.
