New Girl Scout CEO Hails from London, British Petroleum

Fiona Thomas Cummings, M.A., PMP, LEED Green Associate, has been announced as the new Chief Executive Officer for Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois (GSNI). Cummings is a native of Surrey, a county in the South East of England, but has lived in the United States for the past 13 years. Her corporate experience includes over 28 years working for British Petroleum (BP), as a Global Head of Trading Floor Premises (Strategy and Construction) for BP North America, Commercial Manager, BP Pipelines Business Unit for BP North America, Operating Unit Manager and Member of the Board for BP Switzerland, and Systems Implementation Manager for BP Germany. While working for BP, Cummings resided in France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, as well as the UK and the USA.

Cummings left corporate life in 2010 to pursue a career in non-profit management, drawing on her notable experience through active involvement as a member of Thornhill Society Steering Committee for Morton Arboretum, Board Director for DuPage PADS, and Boy Scout Troop 111. She began work as GSNI’s CEO on October 1, 2013.

From age 7 to 18, Cummings was a Girl Guide in the United Kingdom. She was the youngest girl in her district to earn the Queen’s Guide Award, the equivalent of Girl Scouting’s highest award, the Girl Scout Gold Award. As a parent, she was heavily involved in her daughter’s Girl Guide experience, often working with area troops and teaching various interest badges. She initially chose to apply for GSNI’s CEO position, since she received her very first leadership experience as a Patrol Leader in her Girl Guide Troop.

As CEO, Cummings has set many goals for GSNI in 2013–14, among them increased volunteer and girl recruitment, community partnerships, and improved resources for current volunteers.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois serves over 17,000 girls and 4,000 adult volunteers in parts or all of Boone, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago counties.