Career Details

I am a Canadian who has been working in the UK since 2001. I have 30+ years of experience with Governments, United Nations, Red Cross, NGO’s, Universities, Research/Training Centres, Civil Society, News Media and Private Sector working on: future risk; innovation; system change; polycrisis; Humanitarian-Development-Peacebuilding (HDP) Nexus; human security; human rights; child protection; refugees/IDPs/migrants/residents; gender/age/ability; good governance; crisis management; and confidence-/peacebuilding issues and concerns I have a wide variety of international experience managing: executive responsibilities; leadership; diplomacy; representation; political direction; innovation; systems change; evidence-based solutions; planning; programmes; policy; advocacy; research; teaching; accountability; partnerships; engagement; fundraising; communications; business functions; governance; and Board development.

I have worked in 48+ countries as a Programme Manager, Country Director, Emergency Response Manager, Regional Director, Senior Policy Advisor, Senior/Principal Research Fellows, Academic; Deputy Director, Humanitarian Director, Director of Innovation, Executive Director, President, CEO, Diplomat, Consultant and Board Member.

I have also directed emergency Humanitarian-Development-Peacebuilding Nexus operations with NGO's (MSF, etc.), Red Cross and UN in 17 wars and 2 disasters in 27+ countries in Europe, Africa and Asia and from headquarters in 55+ fragile and conflict-affected states including: child survival, protection, development and participation; safeguarding; war rape; GSBV; etc. (i.e., Bosnia, Rwanda genocide, Burundi, DRC, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, CAR, Uganda, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Georgia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, India, Philippines, Sri Lanka, etc.).

I have diplomatic experience with NGO’s, Red Cross, UN and governments in capitals, 70+ countries and global fora: UN Security Council; UN General Assembly; IASC; SCHR; ECOSOC; OECD-DAC; G7; G8; G20; EU Presidencies/EC; OSCE; WEF Davos; African Union; BRICS; Organisation of Islamic Cooperation; etc. For example, I have twice been invited to Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremonies for my work on the International Campaign to Ban Landmines / Ottawa Landmines Treaty (1997) and Médecins Sans Frontières (1999).

I have also completed 750+ news media interviews for TV, Radio, Print and Online agencies in N/S America, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia and been a Peacebuilding/Conflict Management consultant in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, London, New York, etc.

Finally, I have Governance experience with 17 Boards. Currently, I am on the Board of Directors of Feel Good Factor UK (2021-). Previously, I was on the Board of the International Humanitarian Studies Association and Routledge Humanitarian Studies Series (2011-21). I was also on the Advisory Board of Open Briefing (2017-23) and the Board of the School of Humanitarian Leadership (Jordan) (2021-23). From 1997-01, I was on the Advisory Board setting up ALNAP: Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action. As Humanitarian Director, Plan UK, I was on the Boards of the DEC, START Network, Bond Humanitarian Working Group, VOICE and CDAC (2013-14).

As such, I am an effective communicator with a track record of improving organisational performance based on managing relationships, taking decisions and driving delivery.For example,

• Executive Director / Principal Research Fellow, Centre for International Cooperation and Security (CICS), Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, UK:

After three years as Deputy Director, I was promoted to the ED to revive CICS and was responsible for: strategic management; representation; and governance. I led task teams of academics, experts and partnership consortia to deliver evidence-based applied research, consultancy and teaching on the nexus of social development, good governance and violent conflict. I oversaw major contracts for: GoUK FCO (£2,242,616); DFID (+Help Desk) (£863,000); MoD (£544,263); EU including 7 Research Framework Agreements (€400,000+); OCED-DAC; Swedish Sida (+Help Desk); Regional Organisations (AU, etc.); Civil Society; Research/Training Centres (Chatham House, RUSI, ISS, ODI, Clingendael, DECAF, KAIPTC, etc.); Universities; Governments of Nepal, Jamaica, Canada; etc.

My own work focused on:

(a) Future Risk 2030-50: extreme-catastrophic hazards/global systems failure/polycrises;

(b) HDP Nexus: trends, complexity, emerging challenges/solutions; and

(c) Crisis/Conflict Management-Peacebuilding issues and concerns (SJSR, SALW, etc.). (2004-13).

This has provided me with a wide variety of experience in delivering strategic direction, evidence-based decision making and collaborative action to ensure a coherent achievement of an organisation’s goals.

I also have international experience in delivering successful outcomes for system-level reform and individual organisation / sector improvement. For example,

• Director of Innovation, Global Alliance for Humanitarian Innovation (GAHI), World Humanitarian Summit (2016):

I was brought in to accelerate the operationalisation of GAHI. I strengthened GAHI’s work to scale innovation across the humanitarian system through collective action. I developed GAHI’s: Partnership; Engagement; Membership (90+); Advocacy; Fundraising; and Governance Frameworks; Programme Management; and Business Systems. I led our first ‘Innovation 3.0 Ecosystem’ work on: Education in Emergencies ($81.87m with Education Cannot Wait/UNICEF and 24+ partners); Early Childhood Development (£10m); Regional Innovation Hubs; Future Foresight; MEAL Toolkit; etc. at: UNGA; ECOSOC; WEF Davos; etc. (2018-19);

• Diplomat / Head,International Peace and Security Department, UN System Staff College, Italy:

I was headhunted to help establish the Staff College and launch the Department. I developed 17+ global cross-sector/-disciplinary programmes for Kofi Annan’s ‘UN Reform’ strategy on: (a) Peace Process Operations; (b) Human Security; and (c) Crisis/Conflict Management and Global Governance at the UN Security Council; UNGA; New York and Geneva Secretariats; and Regional/Country Offices with 25+ UN Agencies/Offices/Departments/Programmes; Member States; affected communities; Red Cross; NGO’s; research centres; universities; and private sector. For example, the Afghanistan Strategic Framework, etc. (1997-98);

• Diplomat / Senior Policy Advisor: Multilateral Peacebuilding and Good Governance, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Government of Canada:

I was recruited from the UN by the Foreign Minister to help to create and deliver a new ‘Human Security’ foreign policy (Freedom from Fear: 5 themes ~ 22 issues) during Canada’s elected term on the UN Security Council, as well as: UNGA; EU Presidencies; OECD-DAC; G7-G8-G20; ASEAN; etc. (1998-01);

• Humanitarian Director / Head, Disaster Risk Management(Interim), Plan International UK, London, UK:

I was asked to expand global DRM operations for vulnerable children/communities in 55+ countries. I also led work to develop a global capacity to respond to political instability and violent conflict beyond disasters (i.e., Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, CAR, etc.). I provided strategic leadership to Plan’s vision, global programmes and 50+ Regional-Country Offices. I was: Vice-Chair, National Office DRM Group (21 members: USA; Germany, Sweden, etc.); Chaired Global Operations Support Group: Emergencies; led DEC Accountability Framework; was ECHO Gate Keeper; and Media Spokesperson. I was on Plan UK’s SMT and on the Boards of START Network, CDAC, DEC, Bond Humanitarian Working Group and VOICE. In 7 months, I rebuilt the DRM Unit; established a new Ops Framework for European Sections; led overseas missions (Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines), global agendas (Accountability Framework) and country partnership programmes (Syria: 10x Child Protection Teams; Myanmar: DFID Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters: £5m/3 years); and achieved £22.1m in new funding on a £5m annual income target and £3.6m over the next year’s target. (2013-14);

• President-CEO(Interim), FIM: Forum for Democratic Global Governance, Montreal, Canada:

I was asked to reform and expand its global civil society network, partnerships, and policy-advocacy; fundraise; and disperse a SEK12m Sida grant across community partners in Africa, Middle East, Asia and LAC. This included working with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on participatory good governance; and a new stratagem to deliver Humanitarian Action (2012-13);

• Executive Director, Handicap International UK, London:

I was asked to come in for one year to reform and scale its public health, social care and disability programs across the UK and globally; develop policy frameworks; fundraise; develop partnership/engagement strategies; and create a global ‘HI Federation’, of which I was to become the first President. (2001-02); and

• Senior Research Fellow / Deputy Director: Military and Strategic Studies Programme, Department of National Defence, Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies (CISS), Canada.

I oversaw and developed strategic studies policy research, the National Office and special projects. For example, I was involved in the primary work to establish the Pearson International Peacekeeping Centre. My principal policy research dealt with sustainable security and crisis management in Asia, Middle East and Africa through conferences, joint research programmes, academic exchanges, experts’ groups, dialogue fora, back channels, media relations, and publications. I worked closely with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), US institute for Peace (USIP), RAND and the Pentagon/OGA’s in the USA and the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), the Beijing Institute for International Strategic Studies (BIISS) and the PLA in China. For example, during the first Iraq War, I carried out a wide range of open-source political-military research and policy analysis which led to the US State Department presenting me with a "NATO Strategic Studies Award". In addition, I was also a Research Associate for "Peacekeeping & International Relations Magazine", Baxter, Toronto, (1990-91). I remained a SRF until 1997 and advised the Board in 2001 on renewal. (1989-91).

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