Esther Benjamin

Esther has been a global executive in the public, private, and civil society sectors for more than 25 years. Before joining WES as CEO and executive director, Esther worked with Laureate Education, Inc., a leading global higher education organization. She was Laureate’s CEO for Africa Operations and CEO of Monash South Africa, and then SVP for Global Public Affairs. Esther served as the Associate Director for Global Operations of the U.S. Peace Corps and held senior management roles with the International Youth Foundation and the International Partnership for Microbicides. Early in her career, she served as a United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Officer, worked in management consulting with Grant Thornton, and was a White House Fellow. Esther holds a bachelor’s degree from North Central College and master’s degrees in International Affairs and Applied Economics from American University.