After dedicating more than five years entirely to Fundación Luksic, Isabella Luksic has decided to resign as CEO to pursue new personal and academic challenges. She will leave her position on August 31 but will remain connected to the Foundation as a Board advisor until January 1, when she will formally join as a full Board member and Vice President. Additionally, she will continue to represent the Foundation internationally.
Isabella took on the CEO role at her family’s primary philanthropic arm in January 2023, driving professional and rigorous work focused on its beneficiaries and generating meaningful transformation in people’s lives. The organization evaluates and measures the impact of its initiatives with rigor, flexibility, and openness to change, aiming to reach people in the most direct, innovative, and efficient ways, much like a well-run enterprise.
“These past years have been very challenging and rewarding, full of transformation in our social investment, allowing us to reach people across Chile with high-quality programs. I want to thank everyone who has trusted us. Our family’s commitment to contributing to Chile’s development remains strong, and I am confident that with the amazing team we have, we will continue on this path,” said Isabella Luksic.
Her successor will be Macarena Cea, current Director of Development, who joined the organization in 2020 as head of the Evaluation area. She has led the Foundation’s transformation process alongside Isabella, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services and sustainable growth while maintaining a close connection with the field and co-creating solutions with the communities served.
“We are confident that Macarena is the right person to lead the next stage of the Foundation. She has proven abilities and experience in transformation processes, always focused on providing excellent service to people. We have big dreams and challenges ahead to support Chileans, and I am certain she will achieve them,” commented the Board Chair, Ena von Baer.
Macarena Cea (41) is a sociologist with a Master’s in Sociology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. She has worked at the Institute of Sociology and served as Deputy Director of Applied Research at the Center for Public Policy. With extensive public-sector experience, she has held positions such as Executive Coordinator at the Ministry of Education’s Study Center and Chief of Staff at the Undersecretary of Social Services of the Ministry of Social Development, where she led teams responsible for creating or reformulating programs such as the Ingreso Ético Familiar and the Municipal One-Stop Service.
“I am excited and motivated to begin this new stage, with the challenge of reaching more people and making social investment effective and high-quality. I know firsthand the genuine commitment of the Luksic family to doing things well, to demanding the best, with professionalism and a deep love for Chile. I identify with this purpose, and it is with the same passion that I take on this challenge,” said the new CEO, expressing special gratitude for the trust placed in her by Isabella Luksic and the Board.
