New global and diverse experience has been added to Practical Action’s board of trustees after five new people were added to the team.
The new members of the body which oversees the management of the organisation were formally appointed at the Annual General Meeting on December 8.
The move will enhance the board’s digital development and entrepreneurial skills, and create greater diversity of geography and backgrounds.
Yvonne Pinto, Chair of Trustees welcomes new experts to the board
Together, the board of trustees is responsible for overseeing Practical Action’s strategy and the delivery of its key objective: that by 2025 Practical Action links the experience and evidence gained from working directly with over 6 million people in Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, to global initiatives and bold, innovative partnerships that inspire lasting systemic change that goes far beyond its programmatic footprint.
The new appointees are:
- Mourad Wahba, an expert in change management and programme development based in Egypt, he has over 28 years’ experience with the United Nations.
- Bill Liao, climate tech entrepreneur residing in Ireland. General Partner of SOSV and co-founder of WeForest.
- Matt Haikin, Director of UK non-profit consultancy On Our Radar with vast experience in social uses of technology.
- Rachel Sibande, a digital development specialist from Malawi, now working in South Africa as Senior Director, Country Outreach, for the UN Foundation running Digital Innovation.
- Shivani Wadhwa, an experienced people and culture leader who is currently the Global People and Culture Director at WWF International and based in Switzerland.
Practical Action’s Chair of Trustees, Yvonne Pinto said “I’m excited to be welcoming Mourad, Bill, Matt, Rachel and Shivani.
“They bring a whole new dimension to our board, broadening our geographical reach so that we are truly global with a diversity of lived experience, backgrounds, gender and ethnicity.
“In this way, the board will provide a much better reflection of the make-up of Practical Action’s global staff, which is made up of more than 500 people with a huge range of experience and interests from around the world.
“It’s been a challenging time for Practical Action, as teams deal with the pandemic and the impacts of climate change and inequality. For many of the countries where we work, the pandemic is far from over.
“A strong board with valuable skills and experience will only strengthen our response and resilience and drive us in our mission of a world that works better for everyone.”
Sarah Roberts, Practical Action CEO said, “The next few years will be a real turning point for humanity, as we strive towards sustainability and climate resilience.
“Our new board members bring with them vital experience to help Practical Action bring cutting-edge experience to work with millions of people on the front line of climate change. I’m really looking forward to working with them all.
“The new appointees will ensure the organisation achieves reach and impact by working with partners to take solutions from small and local to systemic and global and thereby creating meaningful change in many more lives than Practical Action could ever achieve by acting alone.”
To read the full biographies of the new members, please click here.
To interview any of the board members, please contact Andrew Heath at [email protected].