"Whether it’s kids in Bangladesh, Uganda, or Honduras, I see a lot of me in them. Though their situation is much harder than mine was, I see their potential. I see their smarts. And I feel a tremendous responsibility to empower them with opportunities."

Edgar Sandoval Sr. President and CEO

Edgar Sandoval Sr. is the current President and CEO of World Vision U.S. Born in Los Angeles, Sandoval grew up in Central and South America, where he first witnessed poverty. His own experience with hardship came at age 18, when he returned alone to the U.S. with only $50 in his pocket.

Edgar Sandoval has an unstoppable passion to see that every child—especially the most vulnerable—has the opportunity to experience Christ’s promise of life in all its fullness.

Born in Los Angeles, Edgar grew up in Central and South America, where he first witnessed poverty. His own experience with hardship came at age 18, when he returned alone to the U.S. with only $50 in his pocket. He worked minimum-wage jobs while studying English as a second language, later earning bachelor’s degrees in industrial engineering and sociology from Rutgers University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Edgar was recruited by General Electric and later by Procter & Gamble, where over a 20-year career he made significant contributions to the corporation’s growth and reputation. As P&G’s senior vice president and general manager of global feminine care, he directed the creation and launch of the internationally acclaimed #LikeAGirl campaign. The spot quickly became a viral sensation, airing during the 2015 Super Bowl, garnering more than 90 million views, winning multiple awards, and changing the perception of the phrase forever. Before the campaign, only 19% of people thought that doing something “like a girl” was a compliment. A year later, that had increased to 76%.

Edgar came to World Vision in 2015 in response to a clear calling he and his wife, Leiza, felt to the ministry. As chief operating officer for three years, he directed fundraising programs that generated over $1 billion in donations and strengthened financial and organizational health.

Since stepping into the role of president and CEO on Oct. 1, 2018, Edgar has placed a strong emphasis on World Vision’s Christian identity and the transformational journey of staff, donors, and the children and families participating in programs. In 2019, he launched Chosen^®, a new invitation to child sponsorship. And for three consecutive years Edgar has led the organization to raise record-breaking donations, including private and public funding for World Vision’s response to COVID-19 and the global hunger crisis as well as domestic programs in the U.S. that reached more than 3.5 million people in 2022.

As World Vision president, Edgar has traveled to some of the world’s hardest places, including the Venezuela border in Colombia, gang-controlled urban areas of Honduras, Rohingya refugee settlements in Bangladesh, the Ukraine border, and hunger hot-spot Turkana in northern Kenya. A respected leader in the humanitarian space, he serves on the board of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Edgar is frequently quoted in national media; has spoken at the Christian Leadership Alliance Outcomes Conference, Devex World, and Global Leadership Summit events; and regularly provides teaching clips for the YouVersion Bible app.

“It’s true everywhere we work: World Vision staff responding to the needs of the most vulnerable children and communities in dire circumstances and in the highest risk situations. That’s what we are called to. That’s what we’ve done for more than 70 years.”

Edgar Sandoval Sr.
President and CEO

A champion of diversity and inclusion throughout his career, Edgar pioneered multicultural marketing at P&G and in 2009 won the Change Agent award from ADCOLOR, an organization advancing diversity in the advertising industry. At World Vision, one of Edgar’s key priorities is building a more diverse workforce and donor base.

Edgar cherishes faith and family above all. His wife, Leiza, is a former teacher who was born and raised in Puerto Rico. The Sandovals live near Seattle, Washington, and they have four children, including two daughters with special needs. Edgar’s understanding of the potential of every child, instilled in him while raising his daughters, is an asset to World Vision’s mission to empower the world’s most vulnerable children to take hold of their futures.