Staff Bios

Jean-Michel Grand started at Action Against Hunger in 1996 as a logistician in Bosnia and Chechnya. Jean-Michel has also worked in the field for ACF-France and ACF-UK as Head of Mission in Burma, Tajikistan and North Caucasus.

Jean-Michel has been Executive Director for ACF-UK in London since 2003, coordinating all departments in the London office. He liaises with the ACF-UK Board of Directors, the Executive Directors from other headquarters of the ACF International network and other charities and UK authorities’ representatives. Jean-Michel is fluent in French and English and has a basic grasp of Russian.

Morwenna Sullivan

Food Security Adviser/Trusts and Grants Fundraiser (currently on maternity leave)

Morwenna Sullivan graduated from the School of Oriental and African Studies in 1998. Prior to working with Action Against Hunger, she was a research consultant for UNHCR and wrote a report analysing humanitarian access in south Sudan between 1998 and 1999. A six month stint as a stagiaire (trainee) on the Horn of Africa desk at ECHO in Brussels followed. Morwenna joined Action Against Hunger in 2000 as a socio-economist in Tajikistan. She was responsible for the first nation-wide nutritional survey during that time.

Since then she has gained more than three years field experience with the Food Economy Group (FEG), a consulting group dedicated to improving the quality of livelihoods analysis and food security analysis in developing countries. While with FEG, she conducted a needs analysis of Myanmar refugees in Bangladesh, trained and led a team of WFP /government staff in a baseline food security assessment in Sierra Leone, and developed a guide for food security and monitoring. Most recently, Morwenna trained and led teams conducting assessments in Zambia and Niger.

Morwenna has two little girls and is currently on maternity leave.

Henri Leturque

Evaluations Officer

After acquiring a PhD in Biology from the University of Science, Montpellier and a

Masters in Rural and Agricultural development from the National Institute of Agronomy, Paris, Henri spent a year travelling across Western Africa.

After working with ACF’s Food Security programme in Somalia from 2004-2005, Henri joined the organisation’s Paris office as a Programme Manager for Afghanistan, Burundi, Chechnya and Zimbabwe. Currently an Evaluations Officer with ACF-UK, he produces and promotes the ACFIN's evaluation policy, drafts terms of evaluation for missions and recruits and deploys evaluators to the field.

Mariana Merelo Lobo

Partnerships and Programmes Manager

Mariana joined ACF-UK in July 2006 as Partnerships and Programmes Manager. Mariana is responsible for collaborating with the local partner organisation in Zambia, liaising with the Department for International Development on behalf of ACFIN, trust and grants in the UK. Before joining ACF-UK, she worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (2002-2005) in Eritrea and Liberia where she was a relief and economic security projects delegate. She has also worked as a volunteer in East Timor.

Mariana holds a Post Graduate Masters in International Humanitarian Assistance (2001) and a degree in Law (1998).

Samuel Hauenstein-Swan

Hunger Watch Advisor

Samuel is originally from Switzerland. He has been working for humanitarian organisations since 1994. Samuel has worked in a dozen countries on four continents affected by social, economic and political conflicts, researching health and human rights issues in conflict-ridden countries.

Samuel holds a Master's degree in the Political-Economics of Violence, Conflict and Development from the School of African and Oriental Studies in London. His research interests are in community development during the war to peace transition in the context of humanitarian interaction and aid with local entrepreneurial structures.

Bapu Vaitla

Hunger Watch Fellow

Bapu, a Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellow, is a researcher in the Hunger Watch department at ACF-UK.

Bapu has spent several years working as a food security policy researcher with ACF-Ethiopia, as a public health project officer with the United Nations Children’s Fund in central India, and as an agronomic researcher in southern Chile. He received degrees in Nature and Culture in 2000 and International Agricultural Development in 2003 from the University of California-Davis.

Natalie Duck

Advocacy Advisor

Natalie Duck is the Advocacy Advisor at ACF-UK. She has worked as a campaigner and advocacy advisor since 2000. Natalie started her career organising community led anti-racist campaign activities in London, UK, before building on her skills as a professional campaigner for Greenpeace UK and Greenpeace International. Based within the Hunger Watch team, Natalie is responsible for planning and implementing Local Voices project work with local partners and/or ACF missions and delivering advocacy project work for the UK office.

Heidi Drummond

Events Manager

On completing a degree in law from the University of Leicester and training at the York Law School, Heidi made an unusual decision and started an event management firm in 2004. After successfully running Evita Events for two years (whilst juggling a career in law), Heidi joined Action Against Hunger as an Events Manager in August 2006.

Heidi’s role sees her steering a number of fundraising events from conception to completion. This year’s events calendar includes a rugby event and a tea auction at Harrods.

Pauline Llorca

Campaign Coordinator

Pauline Llorca joined the Fundraising and Communication Department at ACF-UK in August 2005 where she coordinates the Run Against Hunger and the Restaurants Against Hunger Campaigns.

Pauline graduated with a double degree in Law and Economics from London Metropolitan University and the University of Paris in 2004. Prior to joining as a Campaign Coordinator, she volunteered for ACF-UK for 5 months and was responsible for the organisation of the Run Against Hunger, interactive presentations for schools and assisted with fundraising events.

Originally from Paris, Pauline is fluent in French and English and has a basic grasp of Spanish.

Faye Matthews

Campaign Coordinator

With a background in education and several years spent teaching around the world, Faye takes care of Action Against Hunger’s educational work in British schools. As well as this, Faye works alongside Pauline co-ordinating the Fight hunger. Eat out campaign which raises vital funds for the fight against hunger by uniting the food and drink industry.

Milo Douglas

Trading and Outreach Manager

Milo Douglas started out at ACF-UK as an events volunteer in June 2006. He is now Trading and Outreach Manager, a role which involves both expanding the charity’s merchandising revenue through the sale of ACF-UK branded goods as well as fostering support and raising funds amongst community groups such as universities, schools and guilds. He is also responsible for the various food-related consumer and trade shows that ACF-UK exhibits at throughout the year and will be launching a new delicatessen campaign in the Spring.

Prior to working with ACF-UK, Milo spent two years living and working in Italy teaching English in state and language schools. He has also worked for antiquarian and rare bookdealers and counts a South African dictionary signed by Nelson Mandela amongst his most prized possessions.

Rachel Owolabi

Corporate Partnership Manager

Rachel Owolabi, formerly of The Prince’s Trust has joined Action Against Hunger as a Corporate Partnership Manager. With a strong background in Sales & Marketing with Stormsaver Rainwater Recycling and Jetstone UK Ltd as a Business Development Manger, Rachel brings a wealth of commercial experience to her role as Corporate Partnership Manger. Rachel’s primary focus is building the Restaurants Against Hunger campaign, developing and managing corporate partnerships in the UK.

Angelina Lawrence

Head of Finance & Administration

As a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians and Chartered Institute of Management Accounting, Angelina has had a rich and varied career in her chosen field. From working as a Financial Supervisor at a recycled paper company to Finance Manager at a tenants housing association in Lewisham to Senior Finance Officer at Metropolitan Home Ownership to Head of Finance & Central Services at City and Hackney Mind Angelina brings vast experience and knowledge to her position as Head of Finance & Administration at ACF-UK.

Alfred Thomas

Administrative and Finance Assistant

Alfred Thomas joined Action Against Hunger- UK in June 2001. Alfred hails from Freetown, Sierra Leone. In 1992, Alfred moved to London to attend Demontfort University in Milton Kings. He received his degree in Business and Finance.

Alfred fancies eventually working in the field. Alfred’s multi-functional skills keep ACF-UK running smoothly.He is fluent in both English and Krio.

Milair Ryalls

Head of Human Resources

Milair has been with ACF-UK since November 2005 prior to which she focussed on recruitment for charities and commercial organisations in London. Milair heads the Human Resources department at ACF-UK, and is involved in advertising for and recruiting expatriates, consultants and Headquarters staff. As part of the International Human Resources Committee she is involved in the development of ACF-IN Human Resources policy, which also extends to the wellbeing and development of staff.

Apart from providing management support to UK employed expatriates in the field, Milair also manages the Human Resources Administrator and the Human Resources volunteer in the London office. She is a Bachelor of Arts and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management.

Christine Kahmann

Communications Officer

Christine joined Action Against Hunger in 2005. Christine is responsible for ACF-UK's communication activities, publications and press relations. Prior to joining Action Against Hunger, Christine completed a Masters degree at the London School of Economics and worked as an intern for various organisations including Business Europe, the WFP and the German Development Service. Christine speaks fluent German and has good knowledge of Spanish and French.

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