XS Leadership Transitions to Local Team

“A little over two years ago, when I started working with XSProject, the organization was close to going out of business. The non-profit was being run primarily by volunteers, product sales were not covering expenses, and there were limited prospects for new revenue. The situation was dire. Thanks to Invoking The Pause, a group of committed supporters, and the dedication of the team on the ground in Indonesia, we were able to turn the situation around.”

“I am happy to say that today XS is run by a team of full-time, paid staff that are all Indonesians. Many of the staff come from local communities. Sales have increased, which means more work for our sewers – most of whom rely on this income stream for the livelihoods of themselves and their families. The additional revenue means that XS is even closer to achieving its goal of full financial sustainability – even though we are not there yet. In addition, we streamlined the social programs that XS was involved in to focus exclusively on the education of trash picker children. This created overall efficiencies at the organization that resulted in a broader base of innovative products, and the removal of more waste from landfill. XS is in a very different position today, than it was 2 years ago.

As of January 1, 2012, another transition will occur. I will be stepping aside as the Executive Director, and Retno Hapsari, the Operations Manager in Indonesia, will move into a General Manager role. Going forward, she will be driving not only the day-to-day operations for XS, but the overall business. This is a great achievement for XS, because never before has the organization been managed and run exclusively by the local team. Retno and I have been working closely together over the past year to prepare her for this role. She is a talented, dedicated professional and I have confidence that she will excel in her new position. I will continue to be available to her whenever she needs help or support, although I am sure that will diminish over time.

In mid-to-late January 2012, we will also be releasing our Winter 2012 catalogues, which will introduce some new products along with our classics. Be sure to check it out in the Products section of our website (www.xstransformed.org). A few pictures are attached to whet your appetite.

I look forward to great things for XS.”

Janine Firpo (Executive Director, former)

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