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Common Impact Announces Two New Board Members as it Continues to Expand the Reach of its Mission 

By Common Impact | April 10, 2023

Global technology sector veterans Gina Tesla, Vice President of ESG, Coupa and Dean Marsh, Chief Executive Officer, Virtual Technologies Group to Join Common Impact’s Board of Directors

Brooklyn, NY – April 10, 2023 – Today, Common Impact, the nonprofit pioneer in skills-based volunteerism, announced the appointment of two new executives to their Board of Directors: Gina Tesla and Dean Marsh. These strategic additions to the Board come as Common Impact builds its growing global presence and furthers its mission of catalyzing a new connected economy by aligning business and social purpose.

Gina Tesla

Gina Tesla leads the Environmental, Social and Governance team at Coupa, focusing on issues including sustainability, social impact, and diversity, equity & inclusion. She is also the Executive Chair of Empower, an employee resource group, which strives to unleash the power of women and their allies to build a more inclusive world. In the past, she has worked at leading technology companies such as Microsoft, where she conceptualized the Sustainability Service Line for the firm’s Consulting Services division. Tesla also served as a leader in Corporate Responsibility for IBM, helping to oversee multi-million investments driving social impact in education & skills areas. As part of her role, she led IBM’s employee volunteerism and Corporate Service Corps, which encompassed 4,000 employees from 60 countries and 1,500 social impact projects in 40 countries.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Board of Directors at Common Impact as the organization continues to develop and expand,” said Tesla. “I am very passionate about the possibilities that lie at the intersection of global business and our society. I aim to use my expertise in corporate responsibility, sustainability, cross-cultural communication, and volunteerism to help Common Impact cultivate even more innovative partnerships and programs in the future.”

Dean Marsh

Veteran corporate leader Dean Marsh has over three decades of experience driving extraordinary revenue growth in the technology sector. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of leading IT, security, and cloud services firm Virtual Technologies Group (VTG). Previously, he was the Managing Director of Accenture Cloud First, where he worked with North America’s leading corporations to guide their digital business transformation in the cloud. Prior to Accenture, Marsh was the President and CEO of Dassault Systémes Americas Corporation, a subsidiary of Dassault Systémes (DASTY), leading their full P&L and operations across North America. At Dassault, he helped usher in a new digital sales channel, which resulted in three consecutive years of double-digit growth for the firm. In the past, he also was the Vice President of Global Cloud Solutions at IBM, where he helped to exponentially grow the company’s cloud business from $50M to $11B. Marsh is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Essex Country Community Foundation, serving on their DEI and Country Leadership Committees. He also serves on the advisory board of the startup “Ivyees Everything Honey,” which focuses on producing all-natural products from raw organic honey from Jamaica and New Zealand.

“I am honored to join Common Impact’s dynamic Board of Directors,” said Marsh. “Throughout my career, I have always aimed to expand the boundaries of the possible and lead new exciting ventures outside of the box that opens new markets and avenues. I look forward to using my expansive skill set and experience with driving exceptional revenue growth initiatives to help Common Impact as it continues to develop its services and reach.”

Tesla’s and Marsh’s appointments come as Common Impact continues to see increasing strong interest in skills-based volunteering initiatives from both corporations and nonprofits alike. It also comes in advance of Common Impact’s signature skills-based volunteering event, Skills for Cities, which takes place on April 20, 2023.

“We are honored to welcome Gina and Dean as the newest members of our innovative Board of Directors,” said Allen Carney, Common Impact’s Board Chair. “As trailblazers in their own right, they bring a wealth of knowledge and skills across sustainability, corporate responsibility, and revenue growth that will be crucial to Common Impact’s development in the years ahead.”

“As the leader in skills-based volunteering, we are always looking to innovate in the sector,” said Leila Saad, CEO of Common Impact. “Both Gina and Dean are known for their groundbreaking initiatives and exceptional results, and we are thrilled to have them as a part of our team as Common Impact continues to evolve our services to have even greater social impact.”

About Common Impact
Common Impact is a national nonprofit that works to build a society in which individuals and businesses invest their unique talents towards a shared purpose: strengthening the local communities in which we live and work. Founded in 2000, Common Impact has partnered with Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of the country’s leading nonprofit organizations to create transformational change through skills-based volunteering. Learn more about Common Impact’s services, impact, and clients.

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