Cherian Mathews is Chief Executive of HelpAge International, leading the organisation’s global work to promote the wellbeing, dignity and rights of older people.
Cherian has more than 30 years of international development experience in leading and managing humanitarian, long-term development and campaign work at country, regional and global levels.
Previously, he worked with Oxfam GB as International Programme Director and before that as Asia Regional Director, where he led major humanitarian responses in the Philippines and Nepal and led regional campaigns on economic justice and inequality.
Before joining Oxfam in 2003, Cherian worked with Action Aid. Prior to that he worked with local and national level organisations on the rights of indigenous and other marginalised communities in India.
Ruth is a senior fundraising and marketing professional with more than twenty years’ experience forging long-term strategic collaboration between the private, philanthropic and not-for-profit sectors. As the Director of Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships for HelpAge International, Ruth leads on driving the fundraising strategy and income diversification for the organisation – expanding philanthropic and private sector partnerships and developing innovative funding models to benefit the entire HelpAge network. This is crucial as we embark on the next phase of our transformation into a partner-led, network-centred organisation.
Ruth’s career spans leadership roles at Practical Action, Doctors of the World UK, the Ethical Trading Initiative, and Plan UK, where she was instrumental in bringing together multi-sector partnerships that advanced social and economic justice worldwide.
A Clore Social Leadership Fellow, Ruth brings a deep commitment to inclusion, equity, and dignity – particularly for women and marginalised communities.
Gbenga has a private sector background, having trained with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
He previously worked with Air France before joining Oxfam GB in 2002 and has since remained in the non-profit sector. Gbenga was a Finance Director at Saferworld’s (2018 – 2022) where he led the global finance team in overseeing operations in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
A fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, he received his Ph.D. in accounting from King’s College London in 2012, focusing on accountability in the non-governmental sector.
Rhea brings more than 20 years of strategic and operational management experience in humanitarian and development programmes across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
She is deeply committed to advancing the leadership, voice and agency of communities and local organisations within the aid sector. Over the years, she has been involved in capacity strengthening and change management as a consultant, trainer, and a coach in a variety of humanitarian contexts.
Oenone Chadburn is driven by a belief that lasting impact comes from locally led action and strong partnerships. With over 25 years’ experience in international development, she has worked across the UN, INGOs and civil society. As Head of Network Development at HelpAge International, she leads the shift towards a partner‑led global network.
An accredited Partnership Broker, Oenone brings deep expertise in collaboration, localisation, climate change adaptation and disaster risk financing. She has authored academic articles and commissioned influential research on shifting power to national and local civil society.
Her experience is shaped by senior leadership roles at Tearfund and long‑term trustee roles with Start Network and the Global Network for Disaster Reduction. She has led major humanitarian responses globally and holds an MA in International Development Studies.
Rachel is an accredited Partnership Broker, EMCC Senior Practitioner Coach and network leader with over 25 years’ experience across humanitarian, development and non-profit sectors.
She specialises in strengthening collaboration across diverse contexts, working alongside network members, partners and teams to navigate complexity and deliver lasting impact. Her work spans partnership brokering, network weaving, coaching, facilitation, strategy and organisational strengthening.
Rachel has supported the development of global consortia, inclusive network strategies and governance approaches, and learning across sectors. She is committed to reflective practice, mutual accountability and building partnering capability that enables inclusive leadership, collective action and meaningful change for older people.
Susanna leads HelpAge’s global communications outreach, overseeing media relations, digital strategy and internal communications.
She has more than 20 years’ experience in the media and NGO sectors. Susanna previously held senior communications positions at Amnesty International, where she led the global media team, and at CNN International. She has also worked at the BBC World Service and the British Council.
Adeola Soyege is an FCCA‑qualified finance leader with more than 18 years’ experience in the international NGO sector, including roles at Saferworld and the Disasters Emergency Committee.
She brings strong expertise in strengthening financial systems and accountability across multi‑country operations, providing sound financial leadership to global programmes and ensuring resources are managed with integrity and transparency.
Adeola supports effective decision‑making by providing clear financial insight, safeguarding resources and helping to achieve sustainable impact for communities worldwide.
Georgette Mulheir is a globally recognised human rights expert with more than 30 years’ experience working across over 30 countries. She has advised governments, major donors and international organisations on reforming care and protection systems for people at greatest risk of harm.
Georgette has played a leading role in advancing deinstitutionalisation and rights‑based advocacy, contributing to large‑scale improvements in policy, law and practice. She brings deep expertise in translating evidence into sustainable change and ensuring that the voices of the most marginalised people inform decision‑making.
Before taking up this role in September 2024, Chris McIvor spent six years as Regional Representative for the Middle East and Eurasia, supporting country‑level work with local partners in Jordan, Lebanon, Ukraine, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Albania and Armenia, among others. His role also included regional engagement with donors and institutions.
Prior to joining HelpAge International, Chris worked for Save the Children for 30 years in a range of senior roles, including country directorships in Morocco, the Caribbean, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Egypt and Sri Lanka. He has extensive experience overseeing humanitarian programmes in contexts affected by civil conflict and natural disasters.
Theresia is a senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Research expert with over 14 years’ experience in impact measurement, learning and evidence generation. She brings strong expertise in results frameworks, monitoring systems, evaluations, and translating data into strategic insights to inform programming, policy and advocacy.
At HelpAge, Theresia leads the implementation of the organisation’s Impact Framework, ensuring consistent measurement of progress across strategic priorities. She coordinates the annual business planning and reporting cycle, including the Annual and Learning Reports, and works closely with programme, network and advocacy teams to support evidence‑informed decision-making. She also oversees the global Data Management System (DMS) and strengthens data quality, systems and organisational learning.
Her career includes leading Monitoring, Evaluation and Research teams at Oxfam International, Catholic Relief Services and Population Services International, supporting impactful programming and data‑driven decision-making.
Beatriz Gonzalez Aranaga is Senior HR Manager at HelpAge International, leading the organisation’s global people agenda and supporting the development of an inclusive, values-driven workplace culture.
She brings more than fifteen years of experience in human resources across international humanitarian and development organisations, with work spanning Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.
Throughout her career, Beatriz has led strategic people initiatives focused on organisational development, culture and change, safeguarding, diversity and inclusion, and workforce wellbeing. She is passionate about building ethical, resilient and people-centred organisations that enable staff and partners to thrive.
