Non-profit leaders from across the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa to participate in 2023 American Express Leadership Academy

Common Purpose, in partnership with American Express, today is excited to announce a new group of 59 high-potential non-profit leaders from across the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa who have been selected for the 2023 American Express Leadership Academy in London. The global programme relaunched this year with a new curriculum to help non-profit leaders build specific skills to meet the evolving needs of communities around the world.

"There is a real continued need to provide skills and development opportunities to non-profit organizations and their leaders, particularly when these challenging economic conditions can mean that training budgets are often one of the first areas to be cut,” said Adirupa Sengupta, Global Chief Executive, Common Purpose. “The American Express Leadership Academy is invaluable in helping delegates from across the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa to come together with both local and global business leaders to develop and hone core skills and provide crucial support networks and inspiration to the sector’s high potential leaders."

"We’re thrilled to bring the relaunched American Express Leadership Academy to non-profit leaders across UK and EMEA,” said Madge Thomas, President of American Express Foundation and Head of Corporate Sustainability, American Express. “Since its launch 16 years ago, the Academy has helped more than 165,000 social purpose leaders enhance their skills, and we are proud to welcome this next group of leaders. Our new vision for the Academy supports their growth and helps increase their ability to innovate, influence and impact their local communities.”

The six-month Academy will be conducted by Common Purpose in partnership with American Express, with support from global partners, Dell Technologies and Delta Air Lines, and programming support from local nonprofit partners. The theme of this year’s programme is “Resilient Changemakers” and will kick off online in late June 2023 with the group convening in London between 10-13 July 2023. The global relaunch of the Leadership Academy earlier this year supported a group of 77 nonprofit leader from across the Americas, even bringing them together in New York City for three and half days of curriculum focused on personal resilience and insights from leaders across the social, public, and private sectors.  An additional Leadership Academy programme is being planned in Asia-Pacific.

The programme is designed to give non-profit leaders from diverse specialities and organizations a unique opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences, address current and future challenges within the sector and gain insight from key leaders in social, public, and private sectors.

The current group of non-profit leaders is geographically diverse with 62% of participants coming from the UK, 17% from Africa, 8% from Europe and 7% from the Middle East and North Africa. They represent 59 organizations working in areas such as food poverty, education, arts, mental health, climate change, refugee support, equity, and youth homelessness. 

The participants are:

1. Ahmed Addo, Logistics Coordinator, Power to Girls Foundation
2. Sewuese Bertha Agbendeh, Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning Manager, Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative
3. Nimo Ali, Operations Manager, Center for Victims of Torture
4. Ellie Back, Marketing Manager, Imperial War Museums
5. Jihad Bnimoussa, Founder and CEO, InspireCorp
6. Simon Butler, Director/Founder, Migrate Art
7. Richard Chivaka, Chief Executive Officer, Spark Health Africa
8. Pauline Clarke, Senior Business & Communities Fundraiser, St Basil's
9. Claudia Conway, Head of Press & PR, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
10. Sara Cook, Head of Operations, Volunteering Matters
11. Bizzy Day, CEO, Encounters Film Festival
12. Marie-Rose Delauzun, Head of Alumni Engagement, The Sutton Trust
13. Mduduzi Dube, Managing Director, Autism Western Cape
14. Rowena Estwick, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Guys & St Thomas’ Foundation
15. Natalia Franklin Pierce, Executive Director, Nonclassical
16. Ellen Gamble, Programmes Director, Walkabout Foundation
17. Enrique Hermanus, Programme Manager: 2nd Phase Program, MES
18. Busisiwe Kamolane, Attorney & Research Co-ordinator, Centre for Applied Legal Studies
19. Lynn Kelly, Head of Operations, POPS
20. Lamjed Khiareddine, Senior Project Co-ordinator, Notre Grand Bleu
21. Helen Killingley, Assistant Director – Operations, National Emergencies Trust
22. Jastine Klink, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, Generation You Employed Inc.
23. Thesia Gervelie Kouloungou-Nkoula, Head of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, Turn2us
24. Nicola Kurt, Senior Business Development and Training Manager, The Media Trust
25. Ka Yan Leung, Strategic Litigation Programme Manager/Grant Liaison, Lawyers for Human Rights
26. Andrew MacKay, CoDirector: Operations & Legal, Well Grounded
27. Christine Mantu, CEO (deutsch: Geschäftsführung), Lokale Agenda 21 für Dresden e.V.
28. Alexander Migale, Head of Learning and Talent, Kick It Out
29. Naveeda Morgan, Head of Finance, Cardiff Community Housing Association Limited
30. Andrew Morrow, Project Manager, Northern Ireland Alternatives
31. Sunnyboy Mandla Motau, Artistic Associate Director, Moving into Dance
32. Esther Muchena, Service Manager, The Scottish Refugee Council
33. Esther Neave, Head of Individual Giving, Age International
34. Madeleine O'Bryen, Senior Insight and Performance Analyst, Action for Children
35. Oluwatosin Odukoya, Founder/Team lead, ShoeAChild Foundation
36. Blessing Ojo, Lead Media and Communications, Earthplus Africa
37. Oreoluwa Olowe, Executive Director, Learning for the African Child foundation
38. Princess Onyeanusi, Customer Service Specialist (Team Leader), Dwr Cymru Welsh Water
39. Stephen Caleb Opuni, Country Director, IDP Foundation
40. Grace Owen, Manager/Executive Director, Rowland Hill Fund
41. Marsha Powell, CEO, BelEve
42. Apsara Prabhakar, Leadership Fellow, Atlas Corps
43. Natalie Reeves, Billing Director, Split Perspectivz
44. Leah Roberts, Head of Operations, The Key
45. Maria Ruiz Poveda, Communication Director, Fundación Prodis
46. Nick Sankey, Executive Director, Pratham UK
47. Joe Scargill, Senior Youth Engagement Manager, Huddersfield Town Football Club
48. Christiane Schubert, Managing Director Rhein-Main, Joblinge gemeinnützige AG Frankfurt
49. Stephen Smith, Senior Certification Manager, Soil Association
50. Jen Stobart, UK Director, Tent Partnership for Refugees
51. Leote Taylor, Incubation Project Manager (Current Acting CEO), The South African Creative Industries Incubator
52. Roseann Thompson, Community Engagement Manager, Katharine House Hospice
53. Jane Tully, Director of External Affairs and Partnerships, Money Advice Trust
54. Janete Ungara, Advocacy & Empowerment Manager, Caribbean & African Health Network
55. Daniel Valentine, Executive Chair, Lovey Foundation
56. Birgit Weber, Digital Fundraising Manager / Deputy Head of Digital, Save the Children Deutschland
57. Joshua Wheeler, Innovation & Development Manager, FareShare
58. Russell Winnard, Chief Operating Officer Young Enterprise
59. Noor Zada, Global Programme Manager, New Tactics in Human Rights

Since its launch 16 years ago, the American Express Leadership Academy has helped more than 165,000 social purpose leaders around the world reach their potential. Learn more about the Academy and its upcoming class here.