Humanitarian Leader & Former CEO at Lenox Inc.; President Emeritus of World Vision US; Author of "The Hole in Our Gospel"

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Richard Stearns Biography

Rich Stearns is President Emeritus of World Vision. After serving 20 years as the organization’s President and CEO he became the longest-serving president in World Vision’s 75 year history.

Stearns joined World Vision to follow what he felt as a distinct call from God on his life, leaving a corporate career that included CEO roles at Lenox China and Parker Brothers Games. He holds a B.S. in neurobiology from Cornell University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

During his 20 years as President, Stearns built a strong leadership team focused on bringing corporate best practices to the nonprofit sector. Logging almost 3 million air miles, he traveled to more than 60 countries listening to the stories of ‘the least of these’ and using his platform to raise more than $15 billion to support the life-changing World Vision programs needed to help them overcome their circumstances including: community health, food and nutrition, microfinance and livelihoods, clean water and sanitation, education, and spiritual nurture. In the early 2000s he served as a prophetic voice for the organization, calling on the American church to respond to the global AIDS pandemic, and later, raising awareness of the burgeoning refugee crisis. Stearns launched a clean water initiative in 2010 which brought clean water to more than 30 million people over the next decade and made World Vision the #1 provider of clean water in the world.

As a thought leader, Stearns appeared regularly in media outlets such as Christianity Today, FOX News, CNN, NPR, Charisma News, and Relevant magazine and has been a featured speaker at conferences and gatherings all across the world.

Stearns is the best-selling author of several books, including "The Hole in Our Gospel". Which was voted Christian Book of the Year. His other titles include Unfinished, a book about Christian discipleship, and Lead Like It Matters To God, a book for Christian leaders in both ministry and marketplace roles. Stearns also wrote a devotional book with his wife, Reneé – He Walks Among Us

Among the honors Stearns received for his humanitarian service are five honorary doctoral degrees and induction into the Society of World Changers at Indiana Wesleyan University. In 2018, he received the Julia Vadala Taft Outstanding Leadership Award from InterAction, and the Christian Leadership Alliance honored him with its highest honor, the Christian Leadership Alliance Consul.

Currently, Stearns continues to represent World Vision in various speaking roles and has developed a coaching and mentoring practice with younger leaders.

His speaking repertoire includes: Christian Leadership, Poverty and Justice, Christian Discipleship, Generosity and Giving, and Putting Faith into Action

Rich and his wife, Reneé live in Bellevue, Washington.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/21/2026.

Richard Stearns Videos

Plough interviews Richard Stearns

Plough interviews Richard Stearns

In this 2014 interview Plough asks World Vision president Richard Stearns why he says there's a hole in our gospel.

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Richard Stearns is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Richard Stearns for your event is available upon request. Richard Stearns generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Matt Neff, Dr. Sharon Arrindell, Chris Hughes, Lee Parrish and Chris Lambert. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Richard Stearns for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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