About us

Governance & Assurance

We are committed to ensuring the highest standards of transparency and accountability and competent management over public funds programmed through our member organisations and partners.

Start Network is a company and charity registered in England and Wales with company registration number 09286835 and charity registration number 1159483.

Governance bodies

The Start Network is governed by its Board of Trustees, taking its steer from the membership, which is represented by the Assembly. The Board is responsible for implementing the agreed strategy as well as all other governance matters, such as cost effectiveness and efficiency, brand protection, and oversight of the Sub-Committees and the Start Network CEO and CFOO.

Assembly

The Assembly, made up of representatives from all Start members, sets the Network’s strategic direction and acts as a sounding board that informs the Network’s evolution. Its role is primarily advisory in nature, but the Assembly retains three important governance responsibilities: approving new members to the Network; approving the election of new Trustees to the Board, and; overseeing the Board’s performance.

Board

Chair: Christof Gabriel Maetze (Independent)

Oversees the sub-committees and team performance; provides strategic steer; approves the annual business plan and budget; considers new programmes and services. The Board has delegated authority to make decisions on behalf of the Assembly, but takes its steer from and is accountable to the membership.

We believe that decisions about the Network should be transparent, so we publish summary Board minutes here.

info@startnetwork.org

Jennifer Poidatz

Director, Humanitarian Response Department

Alexandre Giraud

CEO, Solidarites International

Juliet Parker

Director of Operations, Action Against Hunger (ACF)

Noreen Gumbo

Head of Humanitarian Programmes, Trocaire

Kevin Noone

Vice President, Global Strategy, International Medical Corps

Nasser Abu Al Atta

President, PARC

Mike Noyes

Head of Humanitarian Resilience & Response, Action Aid

Oenone Chadburn

Humanitarian Director, Tearfund

Mohammed Al-Ghamdi

Executive Director, Qatar Charity

Andre Krummacher

Director of programmes, ACTED

Andrew Collodel

Head of Humanitarian Team, HelpAge International

Kevin Noone

Vice President, Global Strategy, International Medical Corps

Mireille Flores

Humanitarian Programmes Manager, World Jewish Relief

Mujeeb Akhtar

Institutional Funding Manager, Muslim Aid

Lola Gostelow

Humanitarian Policy Analyst

Jamie Hall

Head of Performance & Accountability, Relief International

Francis Atul Sarker

Executive Director, Caritas Bangladesh

Selena Victor

Interim Director of Policy & Advocacy, Mercy Corps

Christof Gabriel Maetze

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Mahendra Gunatilleke

National Director, Caritas Sri Lanka

Leigh Daynes

Executive Director, Doctors of the World

David Crawford

Head of Humanitarian, Islamic Relief

Aleema Shivji

Director, Handicap International

Noreen Gumbo

Head of Humanitarian Programmes, Trocaire

Matt Cleary

Executive Director, ALIMA

Petra Storstein

Head of Donor Support, Norwegian Refugee Council

Normann Steinmaier

Deputy Head & Coordinator Humanitarian Assistance, Welthungerhilfe

Ruben Mulder

Head of Disaster Response, Dorcas Aid

Waseem Ahmad

Director of International Programmes, Islamic Relief

Graciela Colunga de Garcia

Executive Director, PRO-VIDA

Degan Ali

Executive Director, Adeso (African Development Solutions)

Alexandre Giraud

Director of Operations, Solidarites International

Gareth Owen

Humanitarian Director, Save the Children UK

Rose Caldwell

Executive Director, Concern

Gloria Donate

Head of Disaster Risk Management Unit, Plan

Mark Bulpitt

Head of Humanitarian, World Vision

Dan Collison

Programme Director, War Child

Sanjayan Srikanthan

Emergency Field Director, International Rescue Committee

Annelies Claessens

Humanitarian Director, Cordaid

Binny Prabhakar

Independent

Matthew Carter

Humanitarian Director, Cafod

Bob Ruxton

Head of International Support, Concern Worldwide

Tom Newby

Head of Humanitarian, Care

Shaima Al Zarooni

Director of Special Initiatives at the Office of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein

Benjamin Laniado

CEO, CADENA

Degan Ali

Executive Director, Adeso (African Development Solutions)

Richard Corbett

Humanitarian Lead, Oxfam

Samar Muhareb

Director, ARDD-Legal Aid

Karen Janjua

Senior Programme Advisor, Community World Service Asia

Nick Guttmann

Head of Humanitarian Division, Christian Aid

Benjamin Laniado

CEO, CADENA

Fiona Gannon

Head of Programmes, GOAL

Adam Komorowski

Commercial director, Mines Advisory Group (MAG)

Sub-committees

There are five sub-committees to the Board with delegated decision-making authorities.

FINANCE & AUDIT COMMITTEE

Chair: Kevin Noone (International Medical Corps)

Advises the Board and Start team on financial operations, audit and risk management. The responsibilities of the Committee include having oversight on all financial matters, including the annual accounts, budgeting and financial management, as well as identifying and understanding all financial and operational risks to the Start Network.

IMC, Plan International and three independents

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

Chair: Matthew Carter (CAFOD)

Oversees the selection and onboarding of new members, the membership policy and annual membership contributions. Responsibilities include receiving applications to membership and making recommendations the Board of Trustees, as well as overseeing the due diligence process.

CAFOD, World Vision UK, and four independent

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

Chair: Shaima Al-Zarooni (Independent)

Responsible for appointing individuals to the Board and ensuring a good balance of skills are held by the Trustees. Responsibilities include recommending the skills and experience that should be sought in the nomination and election of Trustees, as well as leading the election process when there are vacancies that need to be filled.

Two independents

Human Resources COMMITTEE

Chair: Christof Gabriel Maetze (Independent)

Advises on the development and implementation of the Start Network's People Strategy, as well as other policies and procedures relating to human resources such as personnel and performance management, and staff remuneration.

CADENA and three independents

START FUND COMMITTEE

Chair: John Brooker (Solidarities International)

Oversees the management, operation and strategy of the Start Fund. Strategically, the Committee provides advice and input to the Board, particularly around the principles and the processes for decision-making. The Committee has delegated authority from the Board and, through decision-making subsets called ‘rotas’, makes decisions on funding allocations, stewards the progression of the project selection procedures, and participates in associated learning and evaluation peer reviews.

The Start Fund committee is made up of all Start Network members.

OTHER GOVERNING BODIES

Start Fund Council

The Start Fund Council brings together all Start Fund donors to review their investment in the Fund. The Council has have direct governance oversight over the risk management of the Start Fund, the policy of which the Council reviews and endorses on an annual basis.

info@startnetwork.org