Tearfund Ambassadors
These are a small group of high-profile supporters who use their platform to raise awareness of Tearfund’s work. Our Ambassadors commit to helping us achieve our goals by supporting campaigns, fundraising and events.
About us
Our team
Meet Tearfund’s Chief Executive, our Executive Team, and our volunteer Board of Trustee Directors
Credit: Jonas Yameogo/Tearfund
Tearfund Executive Team
These are Tearfund’s most senior staff members who provide strategic and operational leadership. They set goals, develop our strategy and ensure it is executed effectively.
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Silas Balraj
Chief Executive Officer
Silas brings a wealth of experience to Tearfund, having held a number of senior positions at the Christian charity Compassion International over the past two decades. Roles have included Country Director for India, Vice President for Asia and, most recently, Senior Principal in Compassion's global programme function, based in the US. In this role he oversaw a programme to bring together philanthropy, marketing and programme teams to work more effectively and achieve greater impact. Before joining Compassion International, Silas spent eight years in India's information technology sector, where he led organisations from startup to profitability while establishing HR and Operations functions. He’s passionate about leveraging digitisation to enhance organisational effectiveness. Silas holds a Master’s degree in social work and a Bachelor’s degree in English literature, both from Madras Christian College, Chennai, India. He also has a diploma in human resources development from AIMA New Delhi, India. Silas is based in the UK with his wife Gracia and has three adult daughters and two sons-in-law.
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Caroline Sanderson
Interim Director Core Operations Group / Head of Legal and Risk
Caroline joined Tearfund in 2024 as the Head of Legal, bringing with her 20 years’ experience in the charity sector, including a four-year period living in Uganda working with BMS World Mission on access to justice projects. Caroline’s desire to use her legal and governance skills has been at the heart of her career and strongly aligns with Tearfund’s vision and mission. Caroline is a trustee of All Nations Christian College in Ware, and attends Christ Church Abingdon with her husband and three teenage children.
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Claire Tiffen
Interim Director of Global Influencing and Programmes
Claire has worked in the humanitarian sector since 2009, starting in programme management in South Sudan during independence, the DRC, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Syria. In 2015, Claire set up Tearfund’s response in northeast Nigeria as well as led Tearfund’s immediate response to the Nepal earthquake. Claire was Regional Director for the Middle East from 2023 to 2024. She also worked to streamline compliance and impact mechanisms in support of Tearfund’s work globally and is a strong advocate for locally led response, risk reduction and development. Claire is passionate about responding to issues of injustice. She also serves as a trustee of the Global Network for Risk Reduction.
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Stuart Lee
Director of Global Fundraising and Communications
Stuart has been with Tearfund since 2016, holding several key leadership roles before stepping into his current position as Director of Global Fundraising and Communications. He leads a dynamic team of specialists dedicated to a singular, powerful vision: inspiring Christians everywhere to join the movement to end extreme poverty. Backed by an MSc in Disaster Management and a rich background bridging both international development and Church leadership, Stuart loves finding creative ways to connect supporters with the communities Tearfund serves.
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Olutayo Bankole-Bolawole
Director of People and Culture
Olutayo, a global development expert with more than 32 years of experience, currently serves as the Global Director of People and Culture at Tearfund. Throughout her career, she has held senior leadership roles in international NGOs, managing programs across Africa and Eastern Europe. Passionate about women’s rights and Africa’s development, Olutayo contributes her expertise as part of the community of experts for the World Economic Forum on Water, Africa and Gender. She also sits on the board of Trustees for SIMAVI, a Netherlands-based organisation specializing in Women and girls’ rights to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
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Debbie Perera
Finance Director
Debbie joined Tearfund in 2011, bringing experience from her earlier career at Goldman Sachs and Ogilvy & Mather. Her connection with Tearfund began during a career break as Treasurer for Love Africa, a connected church initiative with St James Gerrards Cross. Debbie’s passion is to see God’s love in action, lifting people out of poverty and fostering a more just world. She has two grown-up children and loves being part of Life Church in Bath.
Board Of Trustee Directors
Tearfund relies on the counsel of our board members, who come from a range of backgrounds and share our passion for seeing people released from material and spiritual poverty wherever we work.
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Anna Laszlo
Chair of the Board
Anna worked as a civil servant in the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for many years, including posts in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Since then she has trained as a facilitator, coach and workplace mediator, and has also built up experience in charity governance. She is married to David and they have six children. They worship at St Matthew’s Church, Cheltenham.
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Stephanie Biden
Chair of the Safeguarding Committee
Stephanie is a partner in the charity and social enterprise team at Bates Wells, one of the leading law firms in the UK advising NGOs. She has extensive experience as a charity trustee, having served on the boards of a range of organisations, from small start-ups to larger Christian charities and mission agencies, such as Stewardship and OMF International (UK).
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Jayakumar Christian
Trustee
Jayakumar is well known for his 30-year involvement with World Vision. He was National Director for World Vision India for eleven years, before becoming World Vision’s global Partnership Leader for Faith and Development from 2015 to 2017. He is the author of the book God of the Empty-handed and many articles related to poverty, urban missions, powerlessness, leadership and integrity. He has also taught in a number of theological seminaries. Jayakumar and his wife Vidhya are based in Chennai (India) and worship in Emmanuel Methodist Church.
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Catherine De Souza
Chair of the Theology Committee
Catherine is the CEO of Prison Fellowship England and Wales. She is a speaker, justice advocate, and ordained Elim Pentecostal minister. Her background includes leading churches, working with prison ministries and serving on several charity boards. Catherine is passionate about inspiring and equipping the church to pursue justice, care for those who are marginalised, and transform society. Catherine is married to Dominic and they have two daughters.
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Jean Paul Ndagijimana
Chair of the International Impact Committee
Jean Paul has more than 25 years of leadership experience in profit, not-for-profit and civil society settings. He has served as a Senior Consultant for KPMG and also as a Country Director, Regional Director and Continental Director for a variety of international non-profit organisations (including World Relief, Clinton Foundation, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa). Jean Paul has served as an elder for Nairobi Chapel and is now a pastor for Hope Evangelical Church in Kigali, Rwanda.
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Yemi Odusolu
Trustee
Yemi, a former Banker and Consultant, is the Lead Pastor of Trinity Chapel in Beckton, East London and is an Area Pastor within the RCCG UK network. Yemi has been a committed Church builder for more than 25 years. He is passionate about teaching the Gospel and seeks to empower people, shaping and impacting society. Yemi previously had an extensive career in the financial services sector, both in the UK and Nigeria. He is married to Adejumoke, who is the Family Life Pastor of Trinity Chapel.
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David Wesson
Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the Supporter Engagement and Fundraising Committee
David has worked in the private sector for most of his career, where his roles have focused on brand, marketing and customer experience, including as Trading Director for Virgin Retail. David has more recently served in non-profits including as CEO of City Gateway and now Waverley Abbey. David has, for many years, been an active member of the leadership team at St Luke’s Church in Kentish Town with his wife Fatima and their three children.
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Andrew Mackie
Treasurer
Andrew is a Partner in Deloitte and a member of the Deloitte Global Audit and Assurance Senior Leadership team. He’s based in Johannesburg, and travels extensively for his work. Prior to this global role, Andrew was the Managing Partner for Audit and Assurance for Deloitte Africa, leading the Audit business in 15 countries in Africa. Andrew and his wife Bronwyn have three adult sons. Andrew and Bronwyn are members of the Methodist Church. Over the years Andrew has held several leadership positions.
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Alfred Biehler
Trustee
Alfred is an experienced technical innovator with more than two decades at Microsoft and Google, most recently as Head of Innovation at Google. He brings a deep understanding of the potential of technology for positive impact and how it depends on the right organisational culture for innovation to flourish. Alfred advises boards and C-level executives globally, including in the private, public and non-profit sectors on innovation, artificial intelligence and data. He cares deeply about creating a healthy organisational culture that is aligned with God’s kingdom values.
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Tracy Cotterell
Trustee
Tracy’s background is in marketing, research and organisational leadership covering public, private and charity sectors. She was Planning Director at a marketing and advertising agency before completing a theology degree and moving to the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, where she served for 16 years, most recently as Managing Director. Her present portfolio includes supervising doctoral students in leadership and spiritual formation at George Fox University, Oregon, serving as a trustee and adviser for a range of Christian charities, philanthropy and mentoring.
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Jimmy Nadapdap
Trustee
Jimmy is an experienced leader in the humanitarian and development fields with more than 27 years of experience working with World Vision, UNDP, and Wateroam across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific in fragile, conflict-affected, and disaster-prone contexts. He’s led large-scale humanitarian responses, multi-country portfolios, and complex partnerships with governments, UN agencies, institutional donors, churches, and local organisations. He currently serves as a consultant and advisor supporting humanitarian innovation, resilience, and community-focused development initiatives. Jimmy and his wife, Natalya, live in Denpasar, Indonesia, where they serve at the Reformed Evangelical Church.
Tearfund Regional Directors
The Fit for Our Future change process, concluded in March 2024, led to the formation of the Global Influencing and Programmes Group (GIPG) to execute Tearfund’s global strategy and impact. With a clear strategy and dedicated leadership, the GIPG aims to achieve Tearfund’s 2030 goals through coordinated regional efforts and strong partnerships.
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Prabu Deepan
Asia
Prabu has been working with Tearfund since 2013 in various capacities, including providing technical support and leadership on our sexual and gender-based violence work across multiple countries. He was leading Tearfund’s Gender and Protection Unit, and subsequently the Thematic Support Team, before taking on his current role of overseeing Tearfund’s work across Asia. Prabu is an alumnus of Tearfund’s Inspired Individual programme, and is currently based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
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Hebdavi Kyeya
East and Central Africa
After serving Tearfund in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan for a number of years, Hebdavi is now the Regional Director for Tearfund’s East and Central African region based in Kigali, Rwanda. Hebdavi is a devoted Christian, husband and father of three daughters. He’s a passionate humanitarian and development worker, committed to alleviating poverty. Working in this sector is a divine calling for him. He believes in a better tomorrow for Africa through the empowerment of young people today.
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Gbati Kossi AGBO
West Africa
Kossi became the West Africa Regional Director in May 2019. He joined Tearfund in 2013 as the Programme Coordinator for Mali, and subsequently became the Country Director for Mali. Previously, he has held leadership positions in a small Christian NGO and Compassion International in Togo, and has also held several consultancy roles for SEL France. Kossi is married to Pascaline and they have three children. He attends the Assemblies Of God Church, Temple des Oliviers, Cocody-Palmeraie in Abidjan.
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Jennipher Sakala
Southern and East Africa
Jennipher Sakala is the Regional Director for Southern and East Africa at Tearfund. She is an executive-level international development management practitioner with over 20 years of experience in various areas, including programme management, strategy development, contract and grant management, leadership, and team management. Jennipher has previously worked for We Effect as Regional Programme Coordinator for Southern Africa, UN-HABITAT as Municipal and Urban Management Expert in Kosovo, Christian Aid UK, Oxfam, and other national organisations at senior management levels.
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Safa Hijazeen
Eurasia and North Africa
Safa Hijazeen is the Regional Director for Eurasia and North Africa at Tearfund. He joined in 2024 and comes from an extensive background of working with local and regional NGOs and charitable entities across the Middle East and North Africa, as well as entrepreneurship incubators and youth organisations focused on empowering and transforming communities. His passion is to see poverty alleviated and communities restored and for individuals to find their calling.
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