Introducing Sherry S. Handel

OpenSSL Foundation Appoints Global Nonprofit Leader Sherry S. Handel as Deputy Executive Director

I am thrilled to join the OpenSSL Foundation as Deputy Executive Director, and I could not be more excited about what lies ahead. With more than 25 years of experience spanning executive leadership, business development, fundraising, communications, and nonprofit operations, I bring a deep commitment to mission-driven work and a track record of building the partnerships and resources that allow organizations to thrive. The OpenSSL Foundation's mission — ensuring that everyone, everywhere has access to fundamental data privacy and security tools that uphold privacy and security as foundational rights — is one I believe in wholeheartedly, and I am already hitting the ground running.

Throughout my career I have had the privilege of working across the nonprofit, corporate, and public sectors, which has given me a broad perspective on what it takes to build sustainable organizations with lasting impact. I am particularly passionate about the intersection of community, fundraising, and operational excellence — the kind of work that keeps an organization's mission moving forward.

One of my proudest accomplishments has been building the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association from the ground up into a global thought leader on sustainable manufacturing — growing membership by 2,150% across the additive manufacturing industry value chain, engaging corporate members, ecosystem players, and regional hubs on four continents across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. I have also served in board leadership roles for two international nonprofits — Creative Action Institute and Compathos Foundation — further deepening my commitment to global mission-driven work. That collective experience reinforced my deep belief in the power of community and mission to drive meaningful change at scale, and it is exactly the spirit I bring to the OpenSSL Foundation.

I am fully remote based in the United States, collaborating with an extraordinary team of colleagues spread across the globe — and I wouldn't have it any other way. I look forward to connecting with the OpenSSL community, learning from all of you, and contributing to this critically important work.

Please don't hesitate to reach out and say hello!