Girl Scouts of the United States (GSUSA) today announced Sofia Chang as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Ms.Chang, who is a mother of a Girl Scout, Lifetime Member and a member of the Juliette Gordon Low (JGL) Society, will assume the role on January 27. She will succeed Interim CEO, Board Member, and lifelong Girl Scout Judith Batty, who came out of retirement to lead the organization in August 2020.
Ms. Chang joins Girl Scouts after three decades of experience in the private sector. During her 20-year tenure at HBO/Warner Media, Ms. Chang led the successful transformation of several businesses, developed high-performing teams, and advocated for women and diversity. Her leadership and business achievements were built on her strategic vision, her authenticity, and her inclusiveness. Ms. Chang brings her legacy of leadership and advocacy to propel Girl Scouts, the largest leadership organization for girls in the world, into its next chapter by working to reach more girls who can create an outsized impact in their communities, and around the world.
Ms. Chang has long been committed to advocating for women and for diverse voices across her professional and personal affiliations. She has served on the board of the Time Warner Foundation, was the Executive Sponsor of HBO’s AAPI resource group and was a member of HBO’s diversity council. Ms. Chang continues to serve on the board of the University of Pennsylvania’s Professional Women’s Alliance which provides young alumni with professional development and networking opportunities.
Ms. Chang will also be the first AAPI CEO in the organization’s 110-year history.
“As a mother to a Girl Scout Junior, I have seen first-hand the positive impact of Girl Scouts. I am honored to join the Movement and to serve our councils, our volunteers, and our girls. I had the great fortune of working with tremendous leaders including many women leaders who broke through ceilings and then advocated for me to break some of my own. As Girl Scouts approaches its 110th year of service, the mission to develop and create opportunities for all girls is more critical than ever,” said incoming GSUSA CEO Sofia Chang. “I am thrilled to work alongside the entire organization to help the Movement grow, become more inclusive and positively impact the lives of all young women.”
“When the search committee first met Sofia, they were taken by her energy, passion, and collaborative approach to leadership. While we successfully rose to the challenges presented by COVID-19, we still must grow. Sofia will bring decades of experience in driving digital transformation, expanding membership, and creating unique partnerships as we evolve the organization to the next century of service,” said GSUSA National Board Chair Karen P. Layng. “The National Board and I are excited to see her steward GSUSA as an institution for the future, that fosters an inclusive community, and creates more opportunities than ever before for girls and women across the country.”
“Sofia is an extremely accomplished woman, and I am excited to see her impact on the direction of the Movement,” said Judith Batty, Interim CEO of GSUSA. “With our updated programming and branding efforts, the Movement is poised to seize the opportunities the future holds, reaching more girls than ever before and increasing the pipeline of future women leaders. Sofia is the right person to advance the Girl Scout’s mission in this changed world.”
Ms. Batty came out of retirement to take the helm of GSUSA in August 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During her tenure, Ms. Batty instituted many organizational changes which have set GSUSA and the Movement on track to be more relevant to more girls; was instrumental in establishing key partnerships with government and other non-profits; and helped the Movement pivot to a successful digital-first model for cookie sales throughout the pandemic.
In addition, under Ms. Batty’s leadership, GSUSA founded its first Girl Advisory Board, raised more than $20 million in contributions, and made diversity, equity, inclusion, and racial justice an organizational priority by securing funding and hiring additional staff and consultants to lead the critical work of fostering a more welcoming community and ensuring that Girl Scouts is available to every girl.
“On behalf of Girl Scouts of the USA, the National Board and our entire volunteer community, I want to extend our deepest thanks and gratitude to Judith Batty, who led our organization through one of the most difficult and tumultuous years in our history,” said GSUSA National Board Chair Karen P. Layng. “Judith’s leadership over her tenure demonstrated, at every turn, the very best we hope to instill in all Girl Scouts, stepping up to steer our organization through the worst of the pandemic and working to improve membership — all in service of our girls. We are grateful to Judith for her tireless commitment, and we are delighted to begin this new journey with Sofia.”
