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Counterpart International

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Terrible...stay away - Anonymous employee Counterpart International Employee Review

1.0
Jul 28, 2021
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Remote work -Interesting projects (what's left of them)

Cons

As Counterpart shrinks in size, so does it's legacy. At the helm is a CEO who cares only about looking good but is so disconnected with reality that she doesn't see the hypocrisy of her words and actions internally and externally.  She surrounds herself with senior staff who not only mostly look like her but say "yes" to every off the cuff wish that she dreams up. Mediocracy is the standard for the directors. High turn-over has been normalized. Hiring/promoting incompetent directors and associate directors to further support a failing organization is status quo and a recipe to demoralize remaining staff. Pretending that the organization is the best it's ever been is at best delusional, at worst, borderline criminal. It is so top heavy that consultants do majority of the work at the home office. The CEO continues to tolerate directors who mute staff and strip them of any decison making power. There is no room for others...in every sense of the word. If you value integrity and inclusion, Counterpart is not for you.

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Counterpart International Response
4y
Counterpart has won more new work this year than in recent history. It is an exciting time to be in the organization. There are dynamic interns. Lots of career opportunities with promotions done on a quarterly basis. There are awards and bonuses for living the values or achieving excellence. The board of directors and staff are interacting more than in years past which is a great chance to network and get to know the people who guide the organization. The CEO has a long and storied career as a technical leader in civil society and media so she’s a great fit for Counterpart. She told the staff stories of how she started her career in 1990 living and working in Sierra Leone and she is still close to those communities and people she met there. She said she is at Counterpart since those same people taught her the importance of local development which is how Counterpart does its work. I don’t know all the directors well but the ones I do know are really great at mentoring staff. Hopefully you will move on to an organization where you find a better fit. Good luck.

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Mar 1, 2026
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CEO approval
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Pros

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Cons

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3.0
May 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

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Cons

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