Arabella Advisors Appoints Rick Cruz as President, Announces Transition of Sampriti Ganguli
Arabella Advisors is delighted to announce that Chief Revenue Officer Rick Cruz has been appointed as the company’s first-ever president. Rick will take on day-to-day leadership of the firm effective immediately, as Sampriti Ganguli prepares to step away from her current position as Arabella’s CEO on April 15, 2022. Sampriti will continue to serve on Arabella’s board of directors and as a senior advisor to the firm but has chosen to move on from her CEO role so she can spend more time with family in India.
“Sampriti’s leadership of the firm over the last seven years has been nothing short of phenomenal,” said Eric Kessler, Arabella’s founder and a member of the board. “She built the infrastructure that enabled us to grow from a small social enterprise into an award-winning certified B Corporation that supports hundreds of clients and partners who are advancing social and environmental impact across the country and around the world. The Arabella board and staff are enormously grateful for all she has done.”
Rick brings a unique perspective to the newly created president role. As a member of Arabella’s executive team over the last two years, he has helped lead the company’s growth and increase its impact during times of great turbulence for society. Before joining Arabella, Rick spent 25 years in the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors, developing deep expertise in strategic planning, program leadership, external relations, and partnership building. He previously served in senior roles at leading social-sector education and youth development enterprises as well as in the professional services sector.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to lead an Arabella team that is already achieving extraordinary impact into the future,” Rick said. “The work the company does to make philanthropy more efficient, effective, and equitable is more important than ever given the challenges our society and our world are facing. We will continue to innovate to help our clients and partners meet those challenges and to enable changemakers to turn inspiring ideas into life-changing impact.”
A child of immigrants, Rick grew up in the Bronx and is a first-generation college student who earned a BA in philosophy from Yale. He has a lifelong commitment to advancing equity in education and beyond. He serves on the boards of a variety of nonprofit organizations working both nationally and in the Washington, DC area.
Eric Kessler reflected the Arabella board’s excitement for Rick’s new leadership role. “Rick is the ideal leader to carry us into the next period of Arabella’s growth and impact. His insight, tremendous leadership skills, and excellent track record give us and our clients confidence in the future of our work.”
Effective April 15, Sampriti will assume the title of senior advisor and will continue to support several firm-level priorities. The Arabella board anticipates that the company will operate under Rick’s leadership at least through the end of 2022 and will appoint a new CEO in 2023.