Andrew Watt, Chief Executive Officer, Association of Fundraising Professionals

Background: Mr. Watt, 49, who was born in Britain, spent nearly a decade at the Institute of Fundraising, in London, an organization that provides professional training to people who seek donations for nonprofits.

Previous job: Mr. Watt joined the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2006 as vice president of international development, concentrating on opening new chapters outside the United States. He was later promoted to chief program officer.

When the new job starts: He will take over as chief executive on March 23, replacing Paulette Maehara, who is retiring after nearly 13 years in that role.

Why he was hired: “The board believes that Andrew has the experience and skills to take AFP to the next level,” said Andrea McManus, a Canadian fund-raising consultant who chairs the association’s board. She said the association, which has 30,000 members in more than 200 chapters worldwide, undertook an extensive international search before settling on Mr. Watt.

What he’ll tackle: Mr. Watt said his priorities will be to bring young people into the fund-raising profession and provide resources to nonprofit organizations, not just to individual fund raisers who are association members.

Education: Mr. Watt has a master’s degree in history from the University of Edinburgh.

Salary: He declined to specify his compensation.

What he’s reading: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.