MEXICO CITY, Aug. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ford Foundation today announced the appointment of Ximena Andión Ibañez as the next regional director of its Mexico and Central America office. She succeeds Helena Hofbauer Balmori, who will dedicate her time fully to her role as director of the Civic Engagement and Government International program, which she helped launch and has led with vision and impact for the last six years.

"Ximena brings a wealth of experience, a deep understanding of the region, and proven commitment to social justice," said Martín Abregú, vice president for international programs at the Ford Foundation. "Her leadership will build on the legacy Helena leaves in Mexico and Central America and I am confident she will continue to play a pivotal role in advancing and strengthening our work across the region."

Andión Ibañez joined the foundation in 2019 and has held roles as program officer and deputy regional director for Mexico and Central America. In her time at Ford, she has developed an innovative agenda and portfolio for the region, connecting local and global priorities. She also played a leading role in building robust alliances among civil society, philanthropy, and governments.

"It is an honor to step into this new role leading the foundation's work in Mexico and Central America to help advance our shared commitment to justice across the region," said Ximena Andión Ibañez, Mexico and Central America regional director for the Ford Foundation. "I look forward to continuing to work with our grantees and partners to strategically address urgent challenges, strengthen democracy, and promote accountability, and economic and social justice."

With more than 25 years of experience working on justice, human rights and gender equality, Andión Ibañez previously served as executive director of the feminist organization Instituto de Liderazgo Simone de Beauvoir. Earlier in her career, she worked at leading civil society organizations in Mexico, including the Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos and Grupo de Información en Reproducción Elegida, as well as at the international level with the Center for Reproductive Rights.

She has also served with the United Nations Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights in both Mexico and Guatemala and has consulted for various philanthropic foundations and UN agencies. A professor of women's rights at the Universidad Iberoamericana, she holds a masters in international human rights law from the University of Essex and a specialization in human rights and democratization processes from the Universidad de Chile.

The Ford Foundation's Mexico and Central America office was established in 1962. Today the office focuses on our Civic Engagement and Government International and Natural Resources and Climate Justice programs.

The Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For more than 85 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

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SOURCE Ford Foundation