Global Executive Leadership Team
Our team consists of highly qualified and motivated professionals, who are all experts in their field. With many years of experience in their specialised industry, they have the expertise and dedication to drive forward our mission and vision to deliver high impact around the globe.

MaryAnn Chikwanda
Chief People and Governance Officer
MaryAnn Chikwanda is an accomplished People and Governance executive with extensive experience in people strategy, employee relations, and board leadership ...Read more

Maria Flygare
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Global General Counsel
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Maria Flygare is an experienced international lawyer and Global General Counsel for Project Yananai.
She is responsible for... Read more

Yvonne Habulembe
Chief Advancement Officer
Yvonne is an accomplished development professional with over 26 years of experience in the international development sector, specialising in partnership formation, grants ...Read more

Ash Patel
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Chief Mission Operations & Infrastructure Officer
Ash is a board-level technology executive with over 20 years of experience leading enterprise-scale digital, data, and cloud transformations .... Read more

Vivian Okolie
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Chief Financial Officer
Vivian steers Project Yananai programme’s capital strategy, funding structure, and enterprise-wide risk framework. A Chartered Global Management Accountant and Fellow Chartered Accountant, Vivian brings ... Read more

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Alexander Gasmena
Deputy Chief People and Governance Officer
Alexander is an accomplished enterprise transformation and human resources leader with over 20 years of experience translating strategy into ...Read more

Māui Smallman
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Deputy Chief Operations Officer
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Māui is a global operations leader with a distinguished track record of driving performance, scaling operations, and delivering resilience across 70+ ...Read more

Sevda Gasimova
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Sevda is an accomplished international relations and partnership development professional with extensive experience spanning the United Nations system, humanitarian organisations, and the private sector.... Read more

Eugenia Adobea Addo
Director of Communications
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A communications leader with over eight years of experience spanning strategy, content, digital platforms, Eugenia has experience in stakeholder engagement within mission-driven public ..Read more

Dr Prashant Gangwar
Head of Education Services
Dr. Prashant Gangwar is a dedicated and accomplished academic leader with over a decade of experience, now channeling his extensive expertise into the practical realm of ... Read more

Niq Sibanda
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Head of Regional Partnerships - Africa
Niq Sibanda started off his career in education and worked with university students under the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. He became the National Director... Read more

Monica Schroeder
Head of Technology and Risk Management
Monica Schroeder is an accomplished professional with 17 years of experience in all-source analysis and risk assessment. Currently based in Cambridge, UK, where she specializes in... Read more

Ari Zastawna
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Global Head of Talent Acquisition
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Ari is a seasoned talent acquisition leader with extensive experience across financial services, executive search, and recruitment consulting. As Head of Talent Acquisition ...Read more

Chiamaka Nwangwu
Head of Compliance
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Chiamaka is a dedicated and results‑driven governance and compliance professional with over eight years of experience in managing governance frameworks, regulatory compliance Read more..

Judith Chepkemoi
Deputy Chief Advancement Officer
Judith is a senior fundraising, resource mobilisation, and strategic partnerships professional with over 15 years of progressive experience across the United Nations, government, Read more..

Dr Daniel Ehighalua
Deputy Global General Counsel
Dr. Ehighalua is a distinguished legal scholar, human rights advocate, and international law expert with more than two decades of progressive experience across Africa, Europe, and Read more..

Tonino Greco
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Deputy Chief Infrastructure Officer
Tonino is a seasoned technology and operations executive with over 20 years of experience leading enterprise‑scale cloud transformation, AI implementation, and infrastructure ..... Read more

Oliver Vembo
Head of Relief Operations
Oliver is a distinguished humanitarian leader with over 15 years of experience in emergency response, program management, and community resilience. As the Head of... Read more..

Ana Topalli
Director of Funding
Ana is a multilingual and strategic financial leader with over a decade of international experience, now serving as the Director of Funding for Project Yananai. In this pivotal role, she is... Read more..

Nyasha Mwendera
Director of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) & Staff Development
Nyasha brings to Project Yananai over a decade of specialised expertise in monitoring, evaluation, geospatial analysis, and public health surveillance, gained through... Read more..

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