Nicole Wilett

"Nicole Wilett is chief of staff at the Open Society Foundations. Wilett has long focused on the intersection of democracy and governance, human rights, gender, development, and security challenges.

"Before joining Open Society, she worked at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where she served as deputy director for program advocacy and communications, leading global strategies on gender equality and family planning. Prior to this, Wilett was senior vice president for Africa at the Albright Stonebridge Group and a senior professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She served twice as director for African affairs at the National Security Council during the Obama Administration, and was senior advisor and chief of staff at the U.S. Embassy in South Africa as part of her long tenure at the U.S. Department of State.

"Wilett has an MPA from Indiana University, where she also concentrated in African studies, and a BA from Syracuse University in psychology and women’s studies."

Married to Colin Stuart Thomas-Jensen .