Our Team
Since 2005 we have provided training to empower people with tangible hope
Operating Team:
Steve Miles | CEO
Steve has over 25 years of experience in leadership and developing people in the charity, sport, business, and international development sector. When he’s not constantly changing time zones, while leading EL’s training programmes; he loves great coffee, cooking, and all things sport.
Sian Cooper | Finance Officer
Sian’s background is in English and education, in which she holds Qualified Teacher status and a BA (hons). As a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and Licensed Practicing Accountant, she is also a finalist student member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Sian is an avid conservationist, who is often found discussing emerging and environmentally friendly technologies.
Peter Waithaka | Lead Trainer, Kenya
Peter, as a beneficiary of the Emerging Leaders programme, brings into his training experience the authenticity not as a theorist, but as a practioner of the transforming power of unlocking your potential. An excellent communicator with over 6 years experience training in urban poor communities, prisons, NGOs and CBOs. One of our lead trainers responsible not only for delivering training, but training trainers both in Kenya and internationally. A talented acrobat, community influencer and avid reader, he established the first ever library for the community in Dandora as his legacy
Terry Kiruki | Country Lead, Kenya
With a background in Construction project management, Terry’s passion in equipping individuals towards realising their optimal personal best led her to shifting her career and has been working in the leadership development space for the last 5 years!
Vijay Kiran | Training Director - India
Vijay is qualified as a Psychotherapist, Soft-skills Trainer, Counsellor and a Consultant with over 25 years of experience that includes corporate training & counselling of individuals, families, employees, students & communities. Loves to travel, read, watch movies & have deep discussions with friends.
Wangui Kimaru | Communications & Partnerships Lead
With a background in Economics and Statistics and an unwavering passion for empowering youth, Wangui has spent the past decade wholeheartedly dedicated to fostering positive change within diverse communities across Kenya. When not working, find her seeking out new nature trails or hosting a group of friends for a cup of tea, games, and great conversations.
Stalin Jukinraj | Operations Director - India
Stalin holds Master in Business Administration and has over 21 yrs of experience. His core expertise lies in the area of program development, strategic partnerships, projects to design, compliance and sustainability initiatives of CSR, program and execution of community programs for the social and corporate sector. He enjoys coffee with soft music and gets involved in community activities.
Francesca Mwanza | M&E Assistant
Francesca is a bubbly youth empowerment champion with an eye for a good story. With a background in Psychology and Sociology; communities are the lifeblood of what I do. During leisure time; barbecues, books and swimming keep me on toes.
Global Advisory Group:
Saba Almubaslat | Middle East
Prior to becoming CEO of the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, Saba invested her career in humanitarian response in some of the most challenging countries, including Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Yemen, Iraq, Tunisia & Azerbaijan. . Before her current role Saba was leading the country office of Save The Children from Jordan, responsible for Syria crisis Relief.
Dickens Thunde | Ghana
Dickens has spent his life in international development with the Global organisation World Vision. He has had strategic and National Director roles in Malawi, Kenya and Ghana. He has been Director of East Africa’s regional management and strategy initiatives. His strengths are in participatory approaches to international development and strategic planning for non profit organisations.
Ranjeeb Sarma | India
Ranjeeb Sarma is Head of Social Compliance, CSR, Plan A and Administration with Marks and Spencer India. He has a decade of experience and insight on issues related to supply chain sustainability & CSR (Wal-Mart, Gap Inc, Mothercare, Solidaridad). He actively partnered with Emerging Leaders to roll out the Leadership for life program (the first of its kind) in the Indian garment sector.
Lennox Plaatjies | South Africa
Lennox lives in the Western Cape of South Africa. and grew up under the Apartheid regime. For 18 years he worked within the South African prison system. Lennox is a passionate community activist and qualified trainer for Emerging Leaders, focusing on vulnerable youth. His motto: It is time for all South Africans, of all races and creeds, to start working together to write the real story of the potential of its people.
Purity Njue | Kenya
Purity has spent her career in the agriculture supply chains in Kenya, with a focus on getting the best quality products while maximising productivity on the land, spotting the potential in people, and being efficient with resources. Purity has witnessed the impact of the EL programme in the lives of thousands of people in Kenya and is herself an experienced facilitator of the Leadership for Life programme.
Hazel Culley | United Kingdom
Hazel has worked with the global supply chains for nearly 20 years and is Senior Sustainability manager for Marks and Spencer. This means that she has extensive insight into the supply chains and the communities of people who make and grow the products we so rely on in the UK. Hazel is committed to equality and fairness and to her this means sustainable supply chains and flourishing communities.
Board of Directors:
Ben Gardner | Chairman
Ben holds a BSc from Bath University. While not with EL he is the Director of Customer Success at Ditto Sustainability. Ben is an ardent environmentalist and sports fan; he likes to chill out with Friends (his, not the TV show).
Matt Cammidge | Director
Matt holds a BA (hons), MSc graduate. He passionately believes data has a key role to help do good in the world, from helping us make data driven decisions to telling powerful stories.
Glen Robinson | Director
Glen Robinson brings to the team 21 years of international business experience in IT Solutions, System Integration and Services. Previously with Dimension Data Glen, now Senior Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing at Sigfox brings a wealth of experience in global business development in helping businesses & organisations grow to scale. Glen, a proud South African and rugby fan, serves on the leadership team in his community church and is a full-time family man and part-time mountain biking enthusiast.
Clare Tunbridge | Director
Clare’s background is in engineering - she also holds an MBA from Bath University. She is a long-standing humanitarian, most recently based in Syria. Through all the high stress environments - wherever she is in the world - she always finds a (creative) way to enjoy baking.
None of us is as smart as all of us.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
-African Proverb