We are excited to announce the appointment of Elodie de Warlincourt as the new Managing Director of the Hear the World Foundation, effective April 1, 2025.
Elodie brings with her 25 years of experience in philanthropy, international development, and humanitarian aid, with a strong focus on entrepreneurial approaches and strategic leadership. Prior to joining the Hear the World Foundation, she served as Senior Portfolio Manager at the Swiss Re Foundation, where she successfully led strategy development for the Foundation’s commitments in climate and access to health solutions. Before her role at the Swiss Re Foundation, Elodie was the Managing Director of the African Innovation Foundation, where she directed a team dedicated to social innovation.
“It is my pleasure to welcome Elodie as the new Managing Director of the Hear the World Foundation,” said the Foundation’s President, Arnd Kaldowski. “Elodie’s entrepreneurial spirit, strategic vision as well as her extensive experience in philanthropy and international development will further strengthen our team as we strive to provide sustainable audiological care to children with hearing loss in low- and middle-income countries. We believe that with her passion and expertise Elodie will help us significantly enhance and amplify our impact.”
Elodie will take over from Domitille Harb, who has provided interim leadership since April 2024 in addition to her role as Director. During this interim period, the Hear the World Foundation has continued to further scale its social impact and advance its sustainability initiatives.
“I am thrilled to join the Hear the World Foundation and its dedicated team in advancing the mission of improving hearing healthcare for children worldwide” said Elodie de Warlincourt. “The Foundation has already built a strong support model, strategic partnerships, and deploys a wealth of internal and external expertise on top of its grant-making. With 34 million children affected by hearing loss globally, we have both a significant challenge and a clear path forward. The potential to create real, lasting impact is immense, and I am excited to be part of this journey.”
Over the past three years, the Foundation has doubled its funding income and significantly increased the number of beneficiaries. In 23/24, Hear the World Foundation has provided its project partners with CHF 7.3 million in technical, financial, and professional support, its largest annual contribution to date. Hear the World successfully provided 4,067 hearing aids to children and increased its audiological training to 3,064 people. Additionally, nearly 1,000 hours of voluntary work by Sonova employees have been provided to Hear the World partners to help build local capacity.
The Foundation will continue to focus on scaling its impact and advancing its sustainability initiatives to increase access to hearing care for children in low-and middle-income countries, while also driving systemic change in ear and hearing care through strategic partnerships.