Foundation also announces several other new leadership appointments

New York, July 31, 2014 – Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG) today announced the promotion of its North American executive director, Ilia Salita, to CEO of the organization. Salita will lead the private foundation’s global effort to develop and enhance a sense of Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews worldwide.

Stan Polovets, GPG’s co-founder and CEO for seven years since its inception, has stepped down from the CEO role in July to focus on developing the Genesis Prize and several unrelated private sector projects. A co-founder of the Genesis Prize Foundation, Polovets will continue to serve as its Chairman and CEO and will oversee a number of new initiatives for the Prize, planned together with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Michael Bloomberg, the inaugural Genesis Prize Laureate.

An alumnus of Moscow State University, Salita started his career in academia, where he spent several years in research and teaching at academic institutions in Russia and the United States. Since joining GPG in 2009, Salita has been responsible for oversight and strategic management of the foundation’s work in North America. A strong believer in the impact of philanthropic collaboration, he also serves as a co-chair of the Westbury Group and on the board of the Jewish Funders Network.

“I look forward to working with our exceptional team, our partners, our grantees and our constituency – the multilingual and multicultural Russian-Jewish community around the world – in ensuring that this community is an integral part of the wider Jewish landscape and a vibrant contributor to a successful and innovative Jewish future,” Salita noted. “Stan’s vision for developing lasting connections for Russian-speaking Jews to their heritage and their community, their past, present and future, whether they live in the Former Soviet Union, the United States, Israel, or anywhere else in the world, will continue to guide Genesis Philanthropy Group.”

GPG also announced that as of July 1, Alexandra (Sana) Britavsky has assumed the role of Deputy CEO/Chief Content Officer. In this capacity, Britavsky will leverage her success in grantmaking and developing trailblazing programs as she takes on new responsibilities which will include development of content strategies in GPG’s new initiatives, overseeing content development of cross-regional grants and directing the organization’s growing work in Germany. She will divide her time between the Genesis Philanthropy Group and the Genesis Prize Foundation.

GPG’s work in the Former Soviet Union will continue to be led by GPG FSU Regional Director Marina Suslova. Anna Perelman has been appointed as the new Regional Director for GPG Israel, while Marina Yudborovsky has assumed the role of Regional Director for GPG North America. All regional directors will report directly to the CEO and be responsible for the grant making in their respective regions.

Dimitry Dikman will continue his tenure with GPG in the new role of Senior Advisor to the Chairman of the Board, providing counsel and support in the areas of strategy, governance and operations.