Ella joined RWA as CEO in June 2026, bringing over two decades of experience scaling multi-country initiatives that mobilized millions of dollars and built transformative partnerships for climate-resilient water and sanitation services across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Prior to joining RWA, Ella led USAID's private sector engagement and finance work in the water security, sanitation, and hygiene sector. In that role, she drove efforts to mobilize $1 billion in public and private finance for climate-resilient water and sanitation services by 2030 and grew the Agency’s private sector partnerships portfolio in water from one global company to seven (Coca-Cola, Gap Inc., SATO, among others).

Previously, she spent a decade at the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), testing and scaling innovative approaches to private sector participation and finance mobilization and leading the design and implementation of water investment programs. She is also a skilled communicator fluent in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Tagalog, Intermediate French), with a track record of driving strategic initiatives and fostering impactful partnerships. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley and a master's degree in Urban Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).