Chris MacLay

Chris Maclay has extensive experience in the field of youth employment and development. They have worked in various roles at Mercy Corps, including Program Director and Director of Youth Employment (Global), where they managed the implementation of youth employment portfolios in multiple countries and oversaw partnerships with social enterprises. Chris also served as the Chief Operating Officer at Lynk Kenya, a tech start-up that connected households and services to vetted tradespeople, creating thousands of jobs for informal workers. They have also held positions at Grassroots Reconciliation Group, Plan International, EEP/shiree, and the Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit at the University of York. Their work experience spans research, program management, project design, and consultancy, with a focus on creating livelihoods and economic opportunities for marginalized populations.

Chris Maclay completed a BA degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the University of York from 2005 to 2008. They also received an MA with Distinction in Post-war Recovery Studies from the same university in 2008 and 2009. In 2006 and 2007, Chris earned a scholarship in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from UC Santa Barbara. They participated in a two-week residential course on Psychosocial Interventions in Emergency Displacement offered by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Scuola Sant'Anna, Italy in 2013. Additionally, Chris holds a PRINCE2 Registered Practitioner certification from AXELOS Global Best Practice, although no specific information regarding the obtained month and year is provided.