Archives: Team

I joined BRAC in 2025 after 15 years of fundraising in the international development, humanitarian and human rights sectors. I work with BRAC teams around the world on international fundraising from trusts, foundations and corporations based in the UK, cultivating and managing strategic long-term relationships, leading BRAC’s engagement strategy with the UK market. I am focusing on growth and diversification, looking for new partnerships, co-creating impactful multi-year relationships. I contribute to thought leadership, market and trends insights, and pilot new initiatives, as well as providing a cross-functional focal point within BRAC.

Before joining BRAC, I worked at Amnesty International’s International Secretariat as the Regional Funding Manager for Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

I led on Amnesty International’s first restricted public appeal for Afghanistan in 2021 and contributed to their Climate Justice strategy from a fundraising perspective.

Before that I worked with Oxfam GB in the UK, Lebanon, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. I’ve also worked in Mali and China.

I am a connector and I ask questions, a feminist, an anti-racist ally, and a problem solver – qualities that have drawn me to BRAC as an institution rooted in the Global South and pragmatism. I love speaking French, learning new languages, and of course, talking fundraising.

I hold an MA in Gender and International Development from the University of Warwick.

Göran  Holmqvist is a former director of Sida’s department for Asia, Middle East and Humanitarian Assistance. He has extensive experience from various managerial positions within Sida as well as from research-related activities, most recently as Director of the research unit at UNICEF Office of Research/Innocenti in Florence. At present he is a project researcher at the Institute for Futures Studies in Stockholm.

He holds a PhD in Peace and Development Research (University of Gothenburg) and a licentiate’s degree in Economics (Stockholm University). His academic publications include themes such as social protection, child wellbeing, socio-economic consequences of income inequality and aid effectiveness.

I joined BRAC in November 2024 as the Media Engagement Lead. With over 15 years of experience in the media sector, I have worked as an international news and programmes producer for major outlets, including the BBC in the UK, Deutsche Welle in Germany and TRT in Turkey. My passion for international development inspired me to pursue a career in the charity sector in 2019 when I joined Islamic Relief Worldwide.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Radio production and a Master’s degree in Marketing Communication.

I joined BRAC in September 2024 as Foundations Officer. My role involves stewarding relationships with philanthropic and corporate foundations to secure funding to support BRAC’s priorities

I have worked in Trust and Foundations fundraising for five years, most recently at the Fawcett Society, which campaigns for gender equality in the UK. Before this, I was Trusts Executive at Sightsavers, an NGO which works in low- and middle-income countries to treat and prevent avoidable blindness. I have also worked within the fundraising team at IntoUniversity, a UK-based education charity which support young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to attain their aspirations.

I recently completed an MSc in Health and International Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science. I hugely admire the work of BRAC as a southern-led organisation. I am particularly passionate about gender equality and am proud to be part of an organisation which delivers impact at scale.

Felicia is a financial services specialist, working in both corporates and entrepreneurs.   Felicia co-founded Engage Smarter.AI, having previously launched and sold a fintech, and insurance venture sold to Willis as well as launched micro-savings and micro-insurance in India.  Engage Smarter provides financial institutions with solutions leveraging AI for customer services and financial guidance using large-language models (LLMs), enabling financial inclusion efficiently and cost effectively.

Felicia is also Non-Executive Director of Platform One, an FCA regulated investment platform and white label tech, and Hive/Womankind Ventures, supporting funding in high-growth women entrepreneurs. Felicia is South African, a Chartered Accountant & tech specialist, with an Executive MBA from London Business School and has lived & worked in UK, India, Argentina, Kenya and Amsterdam, and is passionate about digital education and an active supporter of female empowerment.

Charlie Costa Duarte is a Managing Director of Rothschild & Co Wealth Management and has worked in financial services more than 20 years.  He works closely with some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs, philanthropists, charities and foundations.  Prior to a career in financial services, Charles served in the British Army and deployed on humanitarian operations under the United Nations in support of UNHCR in the Former Yugoslavia.

I joined BRAC UK in March 2024 as Executive Director after more than 25 years of progressive experience in global health and international development.

Previously, I was interim Executive Director at Frontline AIDS, responsible for supporting and developing over 60 southern based regional and national partners focusing on HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. During my time at Frontline AIDS, I developed new strategic partnerships with leading international partners to support their work around the world, and successfully influenced the policies and priorities of international bodies on sexual and reproductive health and rights. My role took me to more than thirty countries around the world.

I hold a degree in French and Spanish, and also speak Hindi and Urdu, and some Bengali. I also hold an MPhil from the Institute of Development Studies, a postgraduate diploma in Psychology and an International Masters in Practising Management (IMPM).

I joined BRAC’s London office in November 2023 as Foundations Lead. In my role, I am responsible for building BRAC’s partnerships from the private sector across Europe in order to raise funding for BRAC’s programmes and strategy globally.

Prior to joining BRAC, I was the Fundraising and Business Development Manager and then the Head of External Engagement for Education Partnerships Group (EPG), a small not-for-profit organisation focused on providing technical and policy assistance to education ministries of low-and middle-income countries.  At EPG, I was responsible for driving the organisation’s partnerships strategy working with US and European Foundations and bi-laterals. I also worked for Plan International UK as Trusts and Foundations Manager, leading the Trusts and Foundations team and managing a portfolio of high-value UK funders across an array of global programmes. Before I moved into the international development space, I worked for the National Trust of Scotland in Edinburgh focusing on their Trusts and Foundations partnerships.

I have greatly admired BRAC’s southern-led approach to development, as well as their focus on women and girls and ability to achieve impact at scale. I’m thrilled to now be part of the BRAC team and excited to build impactful partnerships to bring about change.