Chemonics

Chemonics

File:ChemonicsBrownLogo.jpg
Company type	Private
Industry	International Development
Founded	1975 (1975)
Headquarters	Washington, DC, USA
Key people	Susanna Mudge (President and CEO)
Services	Agriculture, conflict and disaster management, democracy and governance, education, energy, environmental services, financial services, gender, health, management solutions for development, and private sector development
Number of employees	3,000
Website	www.chemonics.com

Chemonics International is a private international development company based in Washington, D.C., that partners with bilateral and multilateral donors to manage capacity building projects in developing countries. The company’s mission states that “by promoting meaningful change around the world, we help people live healthier, more productive, and more independent lives.” Chemonics is employee owned and ISO-9001 certified for its services.

History

Chemonics was founded in 1975 by the company’s first president, Thurston F. (Tony) Teele. Its fourth and current president is Susanna Mudge. Its first projects included agribusiness studies in Cameroon and Kenya for USAID, which remains the company’s primary client. The company launched its first long-term USAID projects in Mali and then in Asia in 1977. In the 1980s, Chemonics began managing projects in other technical areas, such as municipal governance, finance, environment and infrastructure. It also broadened its geographic presence to include the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. To date, it has worked in 145 countries worldwide. In the 1990s, a new shareholder structure granted part ownership to senior managers, making Chemonics an independent company. In 2010, the company became the first development company to achieve an ISO 9001 certification for its Quality Management System. The following year, it transitioned to full employee ownership.

Technical Services

Chemonics manages projects focused on agriculture, conflict and disaster management, democracy and governance, education, energy, environmental services, financial services, gender, health, management solutions for development, and private sector development.

Clients and Partnerships

Chemonics’ main client is the US Agency for International Development (USAID), but it has also worked with the World Bank group, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the IADB, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, the United States Department of Defense, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the UN World Food Programme, DFID, AusAID, and GTZ. Chemonics is also one of the first members of the Better than Cash Alliance, which encourages the shift to electronic payments.

Criticism

Chemonics has also been criticized in reports by the Center for Economic and Policy Research for its role in international relief efforts following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.