Welcome Sanjay our New Chief Operating Officer!
Please join us in welcoming Sanjay Gurung to Our Just Future as our first ever Chief Operating Officer. The COO position was made possible by a grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and will support our overall operations.
Sanjay Gurung is an executive leader with 21+ years of experience scaling development programs across 40+ countries. A systems thinker, he translates complex strategy into resilient frameworks that strengthen governance, civil society, and social infrastructure, particularly in high-stakes transitional contexts across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Most recently, as vice president at Mercy Corps, he led a global team of subject matter experts and drove the program and operational performance, quality, and impact of a multi-million-dollar portfolio. His work centers on building the organizational maturity required for missions to scale and endure. Originally from the eastern Indian Himalayas, he has lived in Portland for over 16 years. He holds an MBA+ certification from Portland State University and is also a trained veterinarian and visual artist. He is a strong advocate for leadership rooted in character and systemic transformation.
Thoughts on Joining Our Just Future
I’m excited to be joining Our Just Future at a time when the need for effective, equitable responses to the housing crisis in Portland has never been more urgent. After more than two decades leading complex programs and operations globally, I’m looking forward to applying that experience to the community I’ve called home for the past 16 years. What draws me to OJF is its commitment to pairing immediate services with long-term stability, and the recognition that strong operations are essential to delivering both. As COO, my focus will be on ensuring that our core systems, Finance, HR, IT, and Asset Management, work as a cohesive, high-trust foundation that enables our teams to do their best work. I believe that operational excellence and equity go hand in hand. From how we allocate resources to how we support our staff, our internal systems should reflect the same values we bring to our work in the community. My goal is to help build the structure and stability that allows OJF to scale its impact without losing its integrity. I’m honored to join this team and look forward to the work ahead.
