Leadership Update
As we step into this next phase, we also want to share an important update with our community.
After steering OCL through a particularly complex and unpredictable season, Megan Wadge (Meg) will be transitioning out of her role as CEO. We’re deeply grateful for Meg’s leadership and care, and we wish her every success in the next chapter of her journey.
Honouring Meg’s Leadership
Under Meg’s leadership, OCL strengthened its core mission, navigated a shifting funding environment, and laid the groundwork for our 2030 strategy, all while remaining values-led, people-centred, and resilient.
Welcoming Jo into the CEO Role
We’re excited to share that Joanne Parker (Jo) has stepped into the role of Chief Executive Officer. Jo has been part of OCL for many years, carries extensive institutional knowledge and has most recently served as our Chief Product Officer and on the Strategic Management Team.
Jo comes into this role with a deep commitment to improving how governments work for residents. A development economist by training, with a background spanning private sector, public sector, and civic society, her work over the past 14 years has consistently focused on one question: how do we build governing institutions and systems that serve all people intentionally and inclusively, and with trust at their core?
At OCL, Jo has applied this lens to the intersection of data, digital systems, and good governance, helping shape our Theory of Change, strengthen our Cities Programme, and align our mission objectives with sustainable business goals. This has included introducing and steering our shift towards a product approach, ensuring that the tools and platform we build are grounded in real user needs and long-term public value. This way of working has informed products such as MyCandidate, Africa Data Hub, MzansiXchange, and most recently MijiBora.
Jo’s appointment reflects the organisation OCL has become: more deliberate in how we scale and deeply grounded in the belief that inclusion must be designed for, intentionally. Her leadership brings continuity, deep institutional knowledge, and a strong focus on governing systems that work better for residents.
Continuity and What Comes Next
Meg and Jo are currently working through a structured handover period, expected to conclude at the end of March, to ensure continuity across programmes, partnerships, and operations.
Our updated Strategic Management Team will be:
- Joanne Parker – Chief Executive Officer
- Wasim Moosa – Chief Technology Officer
- Megan Hallett – Chief Operating Officer
Our Mission Remains the Same
Importantly, there is no change to OCL’s mission or strategic direction. Our ambition remains the same: to support 100 cities and positively impact 200 million by 2030, by strengthening digital and data governance and improving how public services are designed and delivered for residents.
As always, we’re grateful to our partners, funders, city teams, and broader community for walking this journey with us. We look forward to this next chapter together, as we continue to learn and uncover what’s possible when governance, service delivery, technology, and data are shaped around people.
