Habitat for Humanity International announces appointment of Johann Fernando as chief operating officer
ATLANTA (Sept. 22, 2026) — Habitat for Humanity International is pleased to welcome Johann Fernando, an experienced private sector leader, as the organization’s new chief operating officer. Fernando holds more than 20 years of global operating leadership experience at various medical technology companies, where he has been known for bringing discipline, clarity and accountability to complex, multi-country organizations.
In the COO role, Fernando will provide strategic and operational leadership to a dynamic senior team while ensuring the organization operates with discipline and efficiency in realizing our strategic plan in more than 50 countries. He will be responsible for driving operational excellence, scalability and performance across our global platform.
“We’re so glad to officially welcome Johann to Habitat,” said Jonathan T.M. Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “His operational leadership and focus on health — both organizational and human — will drive our mission forward in exciting ways.”
Fernando joins Habitat from his role as chief strategy and marketing officer at Spectrum Dynamics, where he led global growth initiatives and doubled the sales pipeline for the business. Earlier in his career, he served as worldwide president at Becton Dickinson, where he grew the global business in revenue and delivered savings through operational excellence initiatives. He has also served as chief operating officer and president of Fujifilm Healthcare, CEO of Miku, and in operating leadership roles at Accuray and Philips Healthcare.
“I am deeply honored to join Habitat for Humanity International and to serve a mission that has profound meaning for me personally,” Fernando said. “A safe and affordable place to call home creates a foundation for dignity, stability, opportunity and hope. I look forward to listening and learning from Habitat’s staff, affiliates and partners around the world, and bringing my global operating experience to help turn strategy into action and expand our impact for the families and communities we serve.
Beyond his operating record, Johann brings a deep personal commitment to mission-driven service. Together with his wife, he helped establish a church and community center serving a rural community in Sri Lanka, and he is active in parish ministry — including homebound care and outreach to vulnerable families — while completing formation for the Permanent Diaconate in the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
About Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a movement of people in your local area and around the world, working together to build more prosperous and vibrant communities by making sure everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home. Since our founding in 1976 as a Christian organization, together we have helped more than 65 million people globally build their futures on their own terms through access to decent housing. We’ve done that by working alongside people of all walks of life to build, repair and finance their homes, by innovating new ways of building and financing, and by advocating for policies that make constructing and accessing housing easier for everyone. Together, we build homes, communities and hope. To learn more, visit habitat.org.