Cecilia Vaca Jones is a visionary leader with over two decades of experience shaping social policies and programs that improve lives across the globe to create lasting impact. Currently serving as Senior Advisor to Abu Dhabi’s Early Childhood Authority, she designs forward-thinking strategies to support children and families.

As Ecuador’s Coordinating Minister of Social Development (2013–2016), she not only championed transformative initiatives for children, youth, women, and indigenous communities but also developed innovative policies and a legal framework to support human mobility.

Her passion for creating opportunities for the most vulnerable extended to her role as Executive Director of the Bernard van Leer Foundation (2016–2022), where she supported the creation of the Moving Minds Alliance and led efforts to address the needs of young children and families affected by migration and displacement.

Armed with advanced degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Bologna, Cecilia is fluent in four languages and brings a global perspective to every challenge she tackles.

Beyond her professional achievements, Cecilia is an adventurer at heart—scaling the highest peaks in the Americas and Europe, competing in marathons, Ironman 70.3 races, and founding a women’s cycling club. Her commitment to community runs deep, with over 20 years of volunteer work supporting rural development in Ecuador.