United Kingdom
Global affairs and development leader with nearly two decades of experience operating at the intersection of diplomacy, humanitarian, and international cooperation. Throughout my career, I have focused on building platforms and partnerships that bring together actors to mobilize collective action around shared global challenges. I currently lead Save the Children International’s work across the Middle East, North Africa, Gulf, and Eastern Europe, together with a team of more than 2,700 colleagues addressing some of the most pressing needs of children and young people in this diverse and dynamic region. Previously, I served as Secretary-General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, guiding its global network through the largest growth period in its history, reaching 57 million members in new countries and building new strategic partnerships. Before that, as the first UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, I established the Office of the UN Youth Envoy and helped redefine the UN’s engagement with young people worldwide, contributing to major UN initiatives including the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Youth, Peace and Security agenda of the UN Security Council, and the Financing for Development agenda. My earlier experience spans humanitarian response and policy advisory roles with UNFPA, Save the Children, and the League of Arab States. Volunteering remains a cornerstone of my journey. I currently serve as a trustee with WWF International, the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizenship, and Jordan’s Crown Prince Foundation. Educated in technology and international relations across several countries, I’m honored to have received several distinctions including the Order for Distinction from His Majesty King Abdullah II.
Leading Save the Children’s Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe Region— addressing urgent humanitarian needs, fostering long-term resilience, and supporting sustainable development in the region from the Occupied Palestinian Territories to Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Türkiye, Lebanon, and beyond. The region is 2,700 staff strong supporting the humanitarian and development needs of children and communities, with a total portfolio of $350 million.
I served as the Secretary-General (CEO) of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. Through a network of global and regional offices, I led a dedicated team of 180 professionals to support a growing Movement of 176 National Scout Organizations. Over the past years, the World Scout Movement expanded its outreach and impact, recording the largest growth period in its history by reaching 57 million members and unlocking new strategic partnerships and resources.
In my role as the first-ever UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, I was tasked with establishing and developing the new office, with a focus on its programmatic, financial, and political mandate. This position at the core of the multilateral system within the UN Secretariat provided a unique and challenging experience. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the role as "the youngest senior official in the history of the United Nations." We successfully anchored the Office in the UN system, ensuring its structural foundation and sustainability through extra-budgetary contributions. I built a new team that was central in coordinating pivotal initiatives, such as adopting the Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda by the Security Council and the historic Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth Peace and Security. Additionally, we established the ECOSOC Youth Forum, serving as the primary annual UN Forum dedicated to addressing youth development. The initiation of the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action was another key milestone. Furthermore, we advocated for and facilitated the inclusion of youth-focused targets and indicators in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. My responsibilities included supporting Youth and Civil Society Organizations in navigating the intergovernmental processes. Moreover, we created numerous opportunities for youth leadership and capacity development through national, regional, and international events. Furthermore, we cultivated political support from Member States for youth agenda. Additionally, we facilitated connections between the UN and civil society organizations and platforms to address and advance youth-centric issues. This newly created role at the UN was a unique experience. It saw me undertaking over 130 field missions and contributing to the launch and support of various national, regional, and international initiatives, amplifying the global impact of the youth agenda.
I led the project development and grant application, and supported the establishment phase of the World Bank-funded program to the Arab League on Institutional Development and supported the development of Civil Society platforms in the Arab Region. I supported increasing the Arab League's capacity to engage with civil society during the events of the Arab Spring. Additionally, I served as the primary liaison on behalf of the Arab League with the World Bank technical teams.
I advised UNFPA's regional process for the engagement of Civil Society in the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD +20). The role involved overseeing the organization of a regional civil society consultation and producing a report reflecting the regional inputs to the ICPD review process.