Mercy Corps forms European Leadership Council

September 12, 2018

Global organization brings together influential leaders to help shape future understanding of aid

LONDON — Thirteen high-level influencers from across a range of sectors including media, politics and business, are the founding members of Mercy Corps’ newly established European Leadership Council (ELC).

The ELC will play a pivotal role in advising organizations, such as Mercy Corps, to more effectively communicate about the realities of aid and development.

“At a time of almost unprecedented need in the world, it has never been more important for us to find better ways to communicate about the work we do, and its relevance to us all,” says Simon O’Connell, Mercy Corps Executive Director. “The European Leadership Council brings a breadth of expertise that will help Mercy Corps be the authentic, transparent and impactful voice we aspire to be.”

In a year when the annual Edelman Trust Barometer reported that the world is experiencing distrust across multiple sectors, the ELC will advise, guide and support Mercy Corps in its efforts to progress the narrative around aid and development, informing the public about the complexity of the work of a 21st century NGO, and building trust.

The European Leadership Council’s founding members are:

  • Douglas Alexander, Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, visiting Professor at Kings's College, London and Chair of Unicef UK.
  • Maria Elena Aguero, Secretary General of Club de Madrid
  • Amadou Mahtar Ba, Founder and Executive Chairman of AllAfrica Global Media Inc.
  • Omar Ghobash, Former UAE Ambassador to France and Russia, Diplomat and Author
  • Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, Chair of the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD and former head of SIDA
  • Fred Kanouté, Founder, Kanouté Foundation and Ex-professional footballer
  • Christina Lamb OBE, Chief Foreign Correspondent, Sunday Times and Author
  • Tom Price, Director of Communications at Google
  • Professor Mona Siddiqui, Assistant Principal for Religion and Society and Dean international for the Middle-East at the University of Edinburgh
  • Ceri Thomas, Director of Public Affairs and Communication at Oxford University
  • Anne-Marie Tomchak, UK Editor of Mashable
  • Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Lawyer, Politician, Member of the House of Lords
  • Ed Williams, CEO and Vice President, Europe, Edelman .

“We are hugely grateful to these prominent leaders who have agreed to join us, in what we hope will herald a positive and transformative change for the wider aid and NGO sector,” says O’Connell.

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