Rita El Kadiri

Rita currently leads capacity-building programs for nonprofits across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa with McKinsey.org, based in Casablanca. Since joining McKinsey in 2020 as an Education Expert, she has worked extensively with the Education practice, focusing on education systems transformation and employment.

In 2023, Rita transitioned to her current role at McKinsey.org. She has served over 30 NGOs in more than 50 countries, building their capacity with the largest delivery currently ongoing and reaching 25,000 people. She also leads the Social Responsibility work in Casablanca, focusing on supporting education nonprofits.

Before joining McKinsey, Rita spent nearly a decade in the nonprofit sector. She was the CEO of Fondation Zakoura, a twice WISE Award–nominated organization promoting quality education through its flagship program ANEER, which focuses on early childhood and pre-primary education. Under her leadership, the foundation created hundreds of schools and led a team of over 600 people.

In 2019, Rita was appointed by the King of Morocco to serve on the Commission for a New Model of Development (CSMD), alongside 35 other members. She currently sits on numerous nonprofit boards in Morocco, lending her expertise to support the sector.

Rita’s career began in econometrics, building productivity models for businesses. She also worked as an Education Consultant for the World Bank in Washington, DC.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s in International Education Policy from Harvard University.