Sarah Gibson
Chair
Sarah Gibson has spent over 30 years at the heart of international journalism, leading teams and shaping coverage globally, with a particular focus on Russia, Asia and countries in the former Soviet Union. She served as Controller of BBC World Service Languages, headed the BBC’s global network of international bureaux, and previously ran the BBC Russian Service. Earlier in her career she reported for ABC Australia and built a reputation as a leader in international newsrooms. A committed advocate for equality and inclusion, Sarah co-founded the BBC’s Global Women in News network and served as president of the Worldwide Association of Women Journalists and Writers. Alongside her media career, she has held senior roles in the private sector as COO and consultant in strategy, EDI and operations. She’s served as a trustee in the education sector and is currently an external examiner for City St George’s University of London’s international journalism MA.
Sarah Ward-Lilley MBE
Former Chair- Board Advisor
Sarah Ward-Lilley MBE is a former Managing Editor of the BBC where she was a member of the News Board and led on talent management. Prior to that she managed all the BBC’s foreign bureaux and was Deputy Head of Newsgathering. She is an experienced charity chair as well as an executive coach, workplace and employment mediator and expert in mental health.
Monique Villa
Board Member
Monique Villa is a global leader in the charity world, an esteemed journalist and specialist of press freedom and the author of "Slaves Among Us." She has created TrustLaw, Trust Conference, and the Stop Slavery Award. She has been ranked among the world's 100 most influential people in Business Ethics by Ethisphere since 2014. Villa received the Champions for Change Award in 2015 for her vision and effort in the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery, and was the recipient of ECPAT-USA's inaugural Freedom Award in 2017 in recognition of her leadership in the fight to end child trafficking. Villa was the CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation from 2008 to 2019. During her tenure, she transformed the Foundation, creating a number of high-impact programmes including TrustLaw, the biggest global legal pro bono service that operates in 175 countries, and Trust Conference, a world-leading human rights forum. Villa is also the creator of the Stop Slavery Award, which she founded with the artist Anish Kapoor. Prior to joining the Foundation, Villa was Managing Director of Reuters Media and Chairman of Action Images. A French national, she rose through the ranks of Agence France-Presse (AFP) where she held a number of senior journalistic and management positions. She reported for a number of years from Paris, Roma and London where she was Bureau Chief from 1991-1996. She then became Director of Strategy and Business Development at AFP Headquarters in Paris with responsibility for the agency's major partnerships worldwide.
Peymana Assad
Board Member
Peymana Assad represents Roxeth, South Harrow on the London Borough of Harrow Council and is currently the Shadow Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Environment. Peymana came to the UK as a child refugee and upon her election in 2018 became the first person of Afghan origin elected to public office in the UK. She is the Co-Founder of the Labour Foreign Policy Group, a former parliamentary candidate and was chosen as an Obama Foundation European Leader by President Barack Obama in 2020.
Shruti Mehrotra
Board Advisor
Shruti Mehrotra has more than 20 years’ experience delivering high impact ventures at scale. She has served as Special Advisor to three sitting Heads of State, worked with former UK PM Tony Blair to develop his work advising reformist leaders, and most recently led strategic initiatives for the Soros family and funds. Shruti was Associate Director at the World Economic Forum and has experience of Afghanistan, where she led humanitarian assistance programmes in the aftermath of 9/11.
Sara Wahedi
Board Advisor
Sara Wahedi is the CEO of Civaam, a civic-tech startup creating tech solutions for crisis regions. She previously worked with Apple’s AI/ML team on health innovation projects. Recognized for her impact in technology and social good, she has received honors such as TIME’s Next Generation Leader, MIT Innovators Under 35, Forbes 30 Under 30, and One Young World’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023.
Amie Ferris-Rotman
Board Member
Amie Ferris-Rotman is Global News Editor at New Lines Magazine. She has more than 15 years’ experience reporting on international affairs, most notably in Russia and Afghanistan, with the Washington Post and Reuters. Amie collaborated with Zahra Joya on projects for The Guardian and Time Magazine, and is also the founder of Sahar Speaks, a programme for Afghan women journalists.
Elena Cosentino
Board Member
Elena Cosentino is Director of INSI (International News Safety Institute). She is an investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker and worked with CNN, ITN, BBC and others for nearly 20 years. She’s travelled the world covering natural disasters, wars, migration, drug trafficking, terrorism and organised crime.
Caro Kriel
Board Member
Caro Kriel is CEO of Thomson Foundation, a charity that supports journalists working in challenging places in the world, with training, advise and business solutions for sustainable growth. An award-winning journalist and news leader for more than 20 years, she has worked for big media brands like AP, Sky News and CNN.
Lina Rozbih
Board Advisor
Lina Rozbih is Dari/ Farsi Senior Editor and Anchor for Voice of America and has been a presenter/anchor there since 2006. Based in Washington DC, Lina is also an awarding writer and poet, working in both Dari and English, and a frequent speaker and panellist on Afghanistan issues.
Jenny Clark
Board Member
Jenny Clark is Finance Partner at the BBC with 20 years of experience overseeing finance and accounting for operations worldwide. She was also Finance Manager at BBC Worldwide and spent five years auditing at Deloitte. Jenny is an experienced charity finance trustee.
Lisa Mitchell
Board Member
Lisa Mitchell is an experienced news editor, now leading digital transformation at defence broadcasters, BFBS. She was previously head of production at PA Media, global editorial director at video start-up Oovvuu and a news editor at the BBC.
Arya Fatih
Board Advisor
Arya Fatih a freelance TV Producer and began her career in journalism working within the long-form team at Sky News. She studied Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary University before pursuing a Masters in Broadcast Journalism at City University. For the last five years, she has been one of the leaders of Afghan Charity Week, a student led charitable initiative designed to raise money to alleviate poverty and bring about positive change in the UK and in Afghanistan.
