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 & Assurance>
Governance bodies|
Management & Administration|
Due diligence & vetting|
Impact
Governance bodies
The Start Network is governed by its Board of Trustees, which takes its steer from the membership, 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.
Read Start Network's Strategy 2020-2022.
Assembly
Start Network’s Assembly is made up of representatives from each member. It sets the network’s strategic direction and acts as a sounding board that informs the network’s evolution. Its primary role is an advisory one, but the Assembly retains three important governance responsibilities:
- approving new members to the network
- approving the election of new Trustees to the Board
- 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.
Lola Gostelow
Humanitarian Policy Analyst
Jennifer Poidatz
Director, Humanitarian Response Department
Gareth Owen
Humanitarian Director, Save the Children UK
Benjamin Laniado
CEO, CADENA
Richard Corbett
Humanitarian Lead, Oxfam
Mohammed Al-Ghamdi
Executive Director, Qatar Charity
Mohammed Afsar
Head of Humanitarian, Islamic Relief
Juliet Parker
Director of Operations, Action Against Hunger (ACF)
Selena Victor
Interim Director of Policy & Advocacy, Mercy Corps
Samar Muhareb
Director, ARDD-Legal Aid
Matthew Carter
Humanitarian Director, Cafod
Francis Atul Sarker
Executive Director, Caritas Bangladesh
Rabia Sabri
Associate Director, Community World Service Asia
Oenone Chadburn
Humanitarian Director, Tearfund
Darren Cormack
Director of Business Development & Partnerships, Mines Advisory Group (MAG)
Waseem Ahmad
Director of International Programmes, Islamic Relief
Fiona Gannon
Head of Programmes, GOAL
Alexandre Giraud
Director of Operations, Solidarites International
Benjamin Laniado
CEO, CADENA
Isabelle Risso-Gill
Programme Manager Disaster Risk Management Unit, Plan
Binny Prabhakar
Independent
Shaima Al Zarooni
Director of Special Initiatives at the Office of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein
Dan Collison
Programme Director, War Child
Degan Ali
Executive Director, Adeso (African Development Solutions)
Anthony Bonhommeau
Operational Development Manager, ALIMA
Mireille Flores
Humanitarian Programmes Manager, World Jewish Relief
Noreen Gumbo
Head of Humanitarian Programmes, Trocaire
Mike Noyes
Head of Humanitarian Resilience & Response, Action Aid
Ognjen Radosavljevic
Director of Programmes and Partnerships, International Medical Corps
Maria Rudencinda Orella
Executive Director, PRO-VIDA
Nick Guttmann
Head of Humanitarian Division, Christian Aid
Sanjayan Srikanthan
Emergency Field Director, International Rescue Committee
Rose Caldwell
Executive Director, Concern
Mujeeb Akhtar
Institutional Funding Manager, Muslim Aid
Nasser Abu Al Atta
President, PARC
Wim den Hartog
Partnerships Manager, Dorcas Aid
Normann Steinmaier
Deputy Head & Coordinator Humanitarian Assistance, Welthungerhilfe
Andrew Collodel
Head of Humanitarian Team, HelpAge International
Jamie Hall
Head of Performance & Accountability, Relief International
Annelies Claessens
Humanitarian Director, Cordaid
Paul Astruc
Independent
Bob Ruxton
Head of International Support, Concern Worldwide
Anwer Iqbal
CFO, HANDS (Health And Nutrition Development Society)
Christof Gabriel Maetze
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Helen Thompson
Deputy Head of Humanitarian Programmes, Care
Noreen Gumbo
Head of Humanitarian Programmes, Trocaire
Andre Krummacher
Director of programmes, ACTED
Aleema Shivji
Director, Handicap International
Mark Bulpitt
Head of Humanitarian, World Vision
Ellen Waters
Director of Development, Doctors of the World
Mahendra Gunatilleke
National Director, Caritas Sri Lanka
Sub-committees
There are five sub-committees to the Board with delegated decision-making authorities.
FINANCE & AUDIT COMMITTEE
Chair: Paul Astruc (Independent)
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.
Plan International and three independents
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Chair: Degan Ali (Adeso)
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, Adeso, Concern, and three independents
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.
Trocaire and 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.
Read more about Start Network's governance
START NETWORK STRATEGY 2020-22
Over the next three years, Start Network will work across four complementary and mutually reinforcing areas of work aimed at catalysing system change and driving more effective humanitarian action to assist and protect communities in need.
Find out more about how you can work with us