Jeffrey D. Klein, Chief Executive Officer, Global FoodBanking Network

Background: Mr. Klein, 52, is a newcomer to nonprofit management after nearly 30 years in banking and finance, most recently as managing director of EGI, the private investment firm owned by Chicago real-estate developer Sam Zell. Mr. Klein holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Georgetown University.

Why he wanted the job: To advance the mission of the Global FoodBanking Network, a Chicago charity that offers assistance to food-bank networks in 18 countries. His concern about hunger, he says, was fueled in part by taking his young children to volunteer in local food banks as a way to experience “a little bit of adult reality.”

Why he was chosen for the job: Mr. Klein’s business acumen and international experience weighed heavily in his favor, noted William Rudnick, the charity’s chairman. “At its core, food banking is a logistics business,” Mr. Rudnick says, involving the kinds of challenges that engage people from the for-profit world.

Mr. Klein’s agenda: While he hopes to expand the organization’s reach, “we have to be very disciplined in our choices” of locations and projects, he says, and “remain mission-driven but not in a way that outstrips our financial and human resources.” The organization runs on an annual budget of about $2-million.

Salary: He declined to reveal it but noted that it represents less than 40 percent of his peak earnings in the investment business.

Favorite vacation trip: Tanzania, on safari with his family.