ABOUT

Our Board

Christine E. Dawood

Board Member

Christine Dawood is an Organizational Psychologist, Executive Coach, and Change Agent with over two decades of experience spanning diverse sectors such as retail, textiles, engineering, agriculture and mental health. She serves as the Senior Vice President for International Engagements of Engro Corporation, supporting impactful initiatives in education and community development.

Her professional journey is defined by empowering others, with a dual master’s degree in ‘Change Leadership’ from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and HEC Paris, and in ‘Occupational and Business Psychology’ from Kingston University, London. Her work experience is complemented by her roles as trustee of The Dawood Foundation, member of the board of governors of Beaconhouse National University (BNU), and a member of the Council of Advisors at the SETI institute.

Christine’s global perspective is enriched by her upbringing in Germany and her entrepreneurial endeavours in Pakistan, Singapore and the UK. This multicultural experience allows her to adeptly navigate and appreciate the nuances of different cultures and individual behaviours.

In addition to her professional identity, Christine is passionate about equity for women, inclusion, STEM education and mental health. She actively champions these causes, drawing on her diverse experiences and affiliations with various professional organisations.

She is fluent in English and German, with a basic grasp of Urdu, her curiosity and love for nature drive her to explore the world’s wonders, motivating others to stay curious and accept their own limitations.

"Be like an apple tree. The more you have the more you should bow in humility."

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Heather Ibrahim-Leathers

Ms. Ibrahim-Leathers, as the President and Founder of the Global Fund for Widows, has raised millions of dollars to address widowhood, a significant yet often overlooked root cause of global poverty. She pioneered a financial inclusion platform, a "microbank," which has economically empowered over 105,000 widows and their children across emerging markets by establishing 236 microbanks. Ms. Ibrahim-Leathers also advocates for widows at the highest international levels, including the UN, US Congress, and the House of Lords. Her strategic advocacy led to the unanimous adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution AR 76/252 in 2021, which recognized widowhood and called for global social protections. For her contributions to financial inclusion, women's rights, economic development, and peacebuilding, she has received numerous awards, including the 2023 Crain’s Notable Nonprofit Leaders and a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021.

Sandy Debbas

Sandy Debbas serves as Underwriting Counsel for TitleVest where she focusses primarily on New York Commercial transactions. She is also responsible for overseeing the 1031 Exchange division at TitleVest.

Pierre Debbas

Pierre E. Debbas is a partner and founding member of the Romer Debbas firm. Pierre has extensive experience in the areas of real estate and general business law.

Olalekan Akinyanmi

Olalekan ("Lekan") is an accomplished international businessman, engineer, and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of LEKOIL Nigeria, overseeing a significant portfolio in oil and gas, and also chairs Cambridge Growth Partners, investing in natural resources, mining, and agriculture. Passionate about supporting widows and women's issues, Lekan co-founded the Lekan and Tomi Akinyanmi Foundation and is active on several boards worldwide. With over 20 years in the oil and gas sector, Lekan has held influential roles at Alliance Bernstein and UBS, and holds degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University and MIT Sloan School of Management.

Laura Osman

Laura Osman is the President of Amunet Advisors, an advisory firm providing strategic consulting services globally. She previously served as Chief Investment Officer at Concord International Investments Group, LP from 1996 to 2021, where she managed top-performing equity funds and was a key member of the Investment Committees. Before Concord, she founded and led Prudential's Portfolio Analytics Group in New York. Laura is actively involved in several professional organizations, including the Economic Club of New York and 100 Women in Finance. She also holds leadership roles on various boards, including the Global Fund for Widows and ABANA. Laura earned her BBA in Marketing and MBA in International Finance from Baruch College, City University of New York.

Farhang Mehregani

Mr Mehregani is a Founding Partner of Silver Ridge Asset Management, responsible for Risk, Marketing, Silver Mine development, Recruiting and Business Development.

Jennifer Wu

Jennifer joined the Global Fund for Widows in 2012 as a board member and is responsible for the Fund’s social media strategy. With over 20 years of work experience in financial services and strategic consulting, she has held numerous positions at global institutions across the United States, Europe and Asia.

Dr Heba Elnazer

Dr. Heba Elnazer is a highly experienced Internal Medicine doctor with over 17 years in the field, known for her pioneering work in integrative and digital health solutions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. As the founder of Revive Medical Group, she has significantly enhanced patient care through innovative treatment protocols and technology. She co-founded Evoke Diagnostics, further showcasing her forward-thinking approach by integrating diagnostic interpretation in a digital format. Dr. Elnazer, educated at Ain Shams University and trained at Mount Sinai, is internationally recognized for her expertise in chronic healthcare. Her dedication to improving healthcare, particularly in underserved communities, aligns with her commitment to supporting widows in creating sustainable businesses.

Elena Yoon

Elena is the Head of Global Markets at Haitong International Securities’ in New York, overseeing the US institutional equities and equity capital market efforts for the firm.

Nancy Youssef

Ms. Nancy Youssef currently serves as Chief Business Development Officer for Soles 4 Souls, a not for profit social enterprise based in Nashville, TN focused on sustainably repurposing apparel and footwear.

June Munshi

Ms. Munshi has over 25 years of experience advising executive management teams, public and private corporate boards and institutional investors on strategy, M&A and corporate finance initiatives across a broad range of real estate sectors. She is the Co-Founder of The CenterCap Group, LLC, was Co-Head of M&A and a Senior Managing Director with CB Richard Ellis Investors (now CBRE Investment Management) as well as a senior coverage banker at Lehman Brothers and Wachovia Securities.

Olena Malynska

Olena Malynska made a stellar career in financial institutions in Ukraine. Olena has more than 20 years of experience in top executive positions in Ukrainian and international banks operating in Ukraine. Over the last twelve years, Olena has been CEO and has led as Chair of Management Board of large and medium Ukrainian banks. As an early career, Olena had been an auditor in Andersen offices in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Los Angeles, US offices.

Angela Stulley

Angela was an original employee and Head of Sales at quant trading platform Archipelago/ Arca, which became the first US electronic stock exchange. Arca IPO’d, and then was acquired by the NYSE, where Angela was an SVP and Head of Global Sales, as well as CEO of Arca Europe.

CONTACT

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To find out more about what we do and how we are tackling issues around widowhood in our countries of programming and around the world, please contact us below.