
Felicity P. Tan
Strategy | Philanthropy | Partnerships
Felicity P. Tan
Strategy | Philanthropy | Partnerships
Felicity P. Tan
Strategy | Philanthropy | Partnerships
Strategy. Philanthropy. Partnerships.
Felicity P. Tan is a philanthropy and collaborations leader with 15+ years experience in building initiatives, teams and organizations with collaboration and impact at the core.
About Felicity
Driving new models for collaboration, innovative philanthropy and systemic change
With 15 years of international experience architecting multi-sector collaborations in philanthropy, advising multinationals on stakeholder relations, and supporting blue chip organizations on their advocacy and influence strategies, I am passionate about building a new generation of impact ecosystems driven by partnership, inclusion and innovative risk-taking.
We find ourselves at a cross-roads given these turbulent times for the impact sector, but it is also a new world that is emerging: one that I have been proud to have been a part of in the last 15 years. A relationship-builder and people leader, I’m interested in how we build strategies, structures and teams to facilitate collaborative advantage infused with fit-for-purpose philanthropic giving. I design powerful combinations of partners to unleash systemic impact where business, government and society meet, providing expertise on partnership paradigms, collaborative philanthropy and stacking catalytic capital. I am an expert on:
- new models for collaborative philanthropy in the "post-aid world"
- structures, processes and practices that facilitate partnering for established organizations and nascent networks
- starting up innovative new intermediaries that bridge capital with place-based impact
Felicity has an Executive MBA from the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School (director's scholar), an MA in Politics & Communication from the London School of Economics (distinction), and completed her bachelors in Journalism at Boston University (summa cum laude). She also has an executive certificate in Adaptive Leadership from the Geneva Graduate Institute and Impact Measurement from Oxford. She was born in United States, raised in the Philippines, and has since lived in New York, Boston, Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok and The Hague. She now lives in London.
My Journey
Advise philanthropies and impact networks on their partnership strategies
2024-present
I provide counsel to foundations, impact businesses and collectives - both established and emerging - to optimize how to organize themselves for partnering effectiveness. From organizational design, partnering strategies and processes, to advising on the build-out of partnership-based business units, I help organizations make partnering more impactful.
Architected a global alliance's partnership infrastructure
2021-present
I was on the launch team and am currently director of global partnerships at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, a collective of philanthropies, governments, investors, NGOs and innovators driving the renewable energy revolution in emerging markets worldwide. Our model has won the World Economic Forum's inaugural GAEA Award for Catalytic Partnerships.
Co-founded a coalition incubator
2020-2021
I crafted the strategic framework and growth plan for WeSolve, a youth-led collaborative in the Philippines working across policy, grassroots movements and the private sector to create transformational change in urban mobility, food systems, digital identity and post-conflict resilience.
Redesigned a regional giving strategy for a major philanthropy
2017-2020
I spearheaded the re-assembly of The Rockefeller Foundation's grantmaking portfolio in Asia to leverage the power of multi-sector collaborations to turbocharge impact in the areas of health, energy, impact investment and data science for good.
Elevated corporate and philanthropic advocacy campaigns on the world stage
2013-2016
I led multi-market teams to craft the right narratives for the social and environmental agendas of impact organizations (e.g. Rockefeller, Tent, GAIN, Clinton Global Initiative) and corporates (e.g. IKEA, PepsiCo, Mead Johnson), delivering them to top-tier media, governments, influential forums and the stakeholders that matter most to them.
Told compelling stories to engage new audiences and shape new realities
2009-2012
I started my career telling the stories that needed to be told. First as a digital campaign strategist for the anti-corruption platform of a former Philippine president, and later as a press officer for the UN's Yugoslavia Tribunal. I simultaneously freelanced as a journalist (eg. AP, Bloomberg), and spent a year in China as a news presenter.
Thought Leadership
A selection of speaking, writing and lecturing
Blog
2024
Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet
On the Climate Finance Imperative for Emerging Markets
Panelist
2024, Fontainebleau
Business Schools for for Climate Leadership
Workshop on Systems Change
Co-facilitator
2024, London
Business Schools for for Climate Leadership
On Redefining Resilience for Climate Investments
Panelist
2023, Virtual
Global Resilience Partnership
On Empowering the 'Now Generation' to Lead on Climate
Panelist
2023, Abu Dhabi
IRENA Youth Assembly
On Ecosystemic Shifts to Unlock the Energy Transition
Panelist
2021, Oxford
Global Threats and Opportunities
Article
2021
Lively Worlds Journal
What colleagues say
"Felicity brings incredible energy and enthusiasm to everything she does. She approaches complex problems with purpose, intelligence and wit. A truly global citizen, she has an innate understanding of how partnerships, networks and organizations work in very different settings, and has an uncanny ability to bring people and orgs together to collaborate in excellent, meaningful and sometimes surprising ways."
"Felicity is a highly intelligent multitasker to the max! She is always able, even when the pressure is full on, to zoom out, take a helicopter view, reflect and adjust in order to meet ambitions. She has the unique capability to bring the voice of all partners involved to the table in a constructive way."
"Felicity is a great deal maker and forges strong partnerships. I also appreciate her cross organisational approach - supporting all teams and her willingness to dive into opportunities."
"She knows how to get things done efficiently and effectively in a way that is collaborative and engaging. Felicity is a highly skilled communicator and can adapt well to new situations, innovate in the face of sudden challenges and still have high spirits and an unwavering optimism towards the end goal."
"She built a collaborative environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing - creating a safe space where we can disagree in a productive way. This allowed us to build on each other's strengths and creativity to significantly advance the work while creating clarity in the process."
"I found the way she tailored her approach to each of our partnerships highly entrepreneurial. She does a great job at taking teams along the journey. Her working model is incredibly effective and believe she could be highly valuable at guiding/ coaching others."
"She focuses on people's innate strengths and has encouraged me to lean in to that. She has been very generous in sharing her knowledge and experience, and has a way of bring abstract concepts down to a practical level that makes it a lot easier to digest. I love working with her and I learn so much from her."
"Felicity takes the time to get to know colleagues and partners well, and in turn, builds a stronger culture for the team (which is very important to our success). She is our go-getter in the global arena in many ways!"
"Felicity is truly the exemplification of leading from the front, inspiring confidence among colleagues and partners alike."
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