Global team
Andy has been Cord’s Chief Executive Officer since 2017, having joined the organisation initially as Africa regional programmes manager five years earlier. Before this Andy worked in the pharmaceutical industry managing multi-million-pound contracts. He made the decision to leave as he felt called to give his life to working for peace. He studied for a masters in Peace and Reconciliation Studies at Coventry University’s Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations.
Andy is married to Faizia and they have three children who keep them on their toes. Whenever possible Andy loves spending time with family, getting outdoors, and adventuring on his paddleboard. He is a passionate Liverpool FC fan. Andy is an active member of Open Heaven Church in Loughborough and serves on their trustee team.
Katia has been part of the leadership team since 2019. She first joined Cord in 2014 and spent time in both the finance and programmes team.
Katia has 17 years’ experience working in varied NGO settings. Prior to Cord, she had programmes, programme development and operations experience in the fields of social inclusion, civil society development and youth. She has a BA in War, Peace and International Relations from the University of Reading, studied postgraduate Voluntary Sector Management at London South Bank University and is currently an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) student.
Carlos is an experienced humanitarian and development worker with over 15 years of professional experience in the fields of human rights, community development, emergency response, climate change, youth, health, and policy dialogue. He has worked with several iNGOs in Asia and Africa, including the Red Cross, Rotary, VSO and The Nasio Trust. Carlos has been working for Cord since 2015 managing Cord’s regional projects across Southeast Asia.
Bringing his broad experience in programme management, Fulgence is responsible for ensuring the smooth functioning of Cord’s Burundi programme. This includes securing funding, by leading on the development of proposals and networking with other local and international organisations. This all helps to strengthen Cord’s position as a trusted voice in building peace.
Fulgence is passionate about advancing the conditions of the neediest people so that they can flourish and live in the fullness of life.
Before joining Cord he worked for Humanity and Inclusion (previously Handicap International) where he coordinated and implemented programmes supporting people living with disability.
Fulgence worships at Saint François Xavier Catholic Parish in Bujumbura, with his wife Marie Josée and their five children.
Nick joined Cord in 2020, bringing 10 years’ experience of fundraising in the international development charity sector. Previous roles included church relations, volunteer management and legacy fundraising. Earlier in his career Nick was a church youth worker, a local authority safeguarding trainer and a drummer in a band – not all at the same time!
Nick loves hanging out with his kids, running very long distances, drinking good coffee and responding to every whim and desire of his cats.
Jude joined Cord in 2022, she has over 10 years’ peacebuilding experience working in conflict and post conflict contexts in Myanmar, Cambodia and Northern Ireland. She has an MPhil from Trinity College Dublin in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation. Jude’s previous work hasfocused on integrating a gender approach to peacebuilding and the use of dialogue as tool for conflict transformation.
When not working Jude loves to spend time with her daughter exploring the outdoors, visiting the beach (whatever the weather!) and playing a good board game!
Nirjhar is an experienced development worker with over 23 years of professional experience in the fields of civil society capacity building, human rights and rule of law, gender and inclusion, community development, livelihoods and food security, and policy dialogue. She has worked with several iNGOs in Asia including CARE, Interco-operation, Oxfam, HelpAge International, GRET and International Commission of Jurists. She has also worked with the World Food Programme and the Canadian International Development Agency. Nirjhar has been working for Cord since 2021, managing Cord’s programme in Myanmar.
Yen has worked in international development since 2003. Yen has extensive experience managing programs and providing technical advice on gender targeting and social inclusion within various development programs/projects locally, regionally, and globally. Among her 19-year-experience working in development and social research across Southeast Asia and the Pacific including Australia, Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam – she has spent eight years in senior program management. Yen has been working with various organisations such as Swedish International Cooperation Agency, World Agroforestry Center, Center for International Forestry Research, World Education and Cord. Yen has a master’s degree in development studies from Uppsala University in Sweden.
Yen can spend hours doing exercise if she has the time to. On holiday, Yen loves to travel with her children.
Jane has worked for Cord since 2021. Jane previously worked for the NHS before working in a range of voluntary jobs supporting charities across the West Midlands.
Jane is married to Martin and they have two teenagers. In her free time, she enjoys embroidery and textile art. As a family they enjoy getting to the coast as much as possible, and spending time playing games.
Trustees
Maarten has worked in the international humanitarian and development sector since 2007. He currently heads up the technical support team at Tearfund having previously led the Complex Bids Unit. Before joining Tearfund Maarten worked for Medair in Afghanistan, DRC and in their headquarters. Initially trained in Agriculture, Maarten worked as an Arable Consultant and in farm management before completing an MSc in Water Management at Cranfield University in 2007.
Maarten brings his technical expertise and experience of programme management, institutional funding, consortia working and leadership.
Maarten lives with his wife, Elodie, and three lively children in Berkshire, where they are active in their local church.
Adrian is a consultant and works primarily for the EU-CORD network. This is made up of 23 European Christian relief and development organisations, one of which is Cord. Adrian spent 12 years at Tearfund UK working in their Donor Relations Team. Prior to this Adrian worked as a Project Manager at Lloyd’s, a role he also performed in other financial services companies.
He is married to Fran. Together, they have two children and three grandchildren. They live in West Sussex and attend St Marks Church, Holbrook.
Andrew is a forensic accountant. Andrew worked for 25 years as an expert witness in international arbitrations and as an anti-corruption consultant. Between 1991 and 1994 he worked as a mission partner with the Anglican Church in a rural theological college in Burundi, Africa. He is a trustee of MAF UK, and was previously a trustee of All Nations Christian College and Five Talents UK.
He is married to Felicity, and they have three sons. He and his wife are active members of King’s Church Amersham, where they lead a housegroup, and are involved in other activities.
Abigail is a digital marketing executive at International Justice Mission UK and has experience in digital and social media management. She has a Master’s in Reconciliation and Peacebuilding from the University of Winchester and continues to be involved with Rose Castle Centre for Reconciliation as an alumnus.
Abigail has lived in Kenya, Italy and Jordan amongst other countries and enjoys travelling to practice her languages: Italian, Spanish and Arabic.
Becky is the Client Services Director for Red Sea Executive Search, a global search firm specialising in placing leaders in the development sector. She has been working in HR and Recruitment in global development agencies for the last 15 years, notably with Wycliffe Bible Translators and Oxfam International. Becky has previously lived in France, Togo and La Réunion. She is an active member of Headington Baptist Church in Oxford.
Iain spent 35 years in the high-tech industry and holds an MBA degree from the Open University. He is married with two adult children and enjoys running, Rotary International, charity fundraising and travelling around the UK and Europe in his motorhome!
Since retiring, Iain has volunteered as the Rotary District 1060 ShelterBox Co-Ordinator; ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity. Iain also volunteers as a county co-ordinator for AbilityNet, providing technical support for elderly and disabled people, and as chair of trustees of a local community centre. He is active in his local Congregational Church – he now wonders how he had time to work!
Kat works in the Programmes and Partnerships team at Embrace the Middle East, supporting partner organisations to deliver projects which benefit marginalised people and communities. Prior to this she spent five years leading the Church of England’s national programme to promote positive interfaith relationships.
She holds a Masters in Reconciliation and Peacebuilding from the University of Winchester and is particularly interested in the way religion can contribute to both conflict and peace. Kat and her husband live in Bristol where they are active in their parish church.
Robin has almost 30 years’ experience in humanitarian relief, international development, and human rights, starting this journey as Country Director for Cord in Mozambique. Until recently he was International Programmes Director of Christian Aid and brings his experience of strategy and change leadership to Cord.
He lives with his wife, Michele, in Cambridge, where they are active in their local churches.
Patrons
Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry, has served in parochial and chaplaincy ministry and in theological education, latterly as Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity by the University of London for his services to education.
Bishop Christopher entered the House of Lords in 2013 where he contributes on international Development amongst other topics. He is the recipient of the Großes Verdienstkreuz of the Federal Republic of Germany for his work on peace and reconciliation.
Christopher is married to Charlotte, and they have a large family. Among his hobbies is organic fruit and vegetable gardening.
He is inspired to support the work of Cord because of its focus on restoring the God-given dignity of human beings, by empowering them to flourish and exercise their rights within a peaceful framework, and by building relationships across divides.
Gillian has been writing children’s books since the 1970s. Her association with Cord began in the early 2000s, when she helped to produce material for schools about Cord’s work with refugees in Chad. She was so impressed by what she learned that she wrote a book, called ‘After Tomorrow’, in which families fleeing from Britain find themselves living in refugee camps in France.
Gillian is married to Martin and they have four children and five grandchildren. They are keen orienteers. Gillian is a member of St Mary’s Church in Compton Abbas, near Shaftesbury, where she is currently the Parish Secretary.
Hope on the horizon
Thousands of families around the world face the threat of losing their land, and with it, their homes and means to survive. But hope is uniting these poor communities; they are rising up against injustice. And you can stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
