Associates | The Centre

Deb Barry

Senior Humanitarian and Leadership Advisor

Deb has 28 years of youth, child protection, and leadership experience with children and communities globally, having spent a majority of that working at a senior management level with humanitarian agencies. Deb originally joined the Centre in 2016 as the Learning Lead for the Graduate Certificate of Humanitarian Leadership residentials.

She is also an independent senior child protection and youth inclusion consultant working closely with governments, INGOs and UN agencies. She has proven experience evaluating programs, delivering capability training and energising teams and in research. Deb has developed international trainings for NGOs, government and foreign military groups on leadership, team building, youth led advocacy, protection and child rights. In addition, she has been developing training for Save the Children USA and Australia Domestic Emergency Response surge teams.

Deb has most recently been the Country Response Director for Save the Children in Poland to respond to the Ukraine crisis, deploying two days after the start of the conflict until June 2022. Deb was the Global Senior Director of Child Protection for Save the Children USA from 2010-2012. From 2008 – 2011, Deb was part of the SC International global capacity building development team. Prior to that, she spent another eight years in various senior leadership roles addressing issues of protection.

Michael Barrett

Marketing & Communications Officer, Diplôme d’Études Supérieures en Leadership Humanitaire

Michael has more than 25 years experience in marketing, communications, events organisation and both trade association and NGO management. He is well-versed in CSR and sustainability, having founded two NGOs to support people with disability and promote adaptive sports as well as environmental education programmes.

Michael is an independent consultant driving events, marketing and CSR activities in the travel retail sector and marketing, communications and events organisation at the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership, with a focus on the Diplôme d’Études Supérieures en Leadership Humanitaire.

Michael is passionate about his Christian faith, singing and swimming, preferably in the ocean.

Dominic Bowen

International Operations and Humanitarian Response

Dominic has more than 20 years’ experience specialising in humanitarian response, operational resilience, risk management, business continuity, and crisis response. He led UN Standby Partnership Program Surge Mechanism working groups and real-time reviews with UNICEF and UNHCR, and has worked for MSF, DRC, Red Cross, Access Aid, GOAL, RedR, MTI, and Save the Children. Dominic has led response teams in Pakistan, Indonesia, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Syria, Haiti, Yemen, Ukraine, and many other humanitarian settings. Dominic has a Masters of International Relations, a Diploma of Public Safety, a Diploma of Security and Risk Management, and is finalising a Master of International Law.

Paula Brennan

Humanitarian Leader and Coach

Paula has spent almost two decades in the humanitarian sector leading emergency interventions across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. For the last 10 years she has led Save the Children UK’s humanitarian programme quality agenda. She deployed to Mozambique, Yemen, The Horn of Africa and, more recently, Poland, to support the Ukraine refugee crisis. Prior to Save the Children, Paula led teams for Oxfam and MSF amassing experience in conflict related emergencies in DRC, Chad, and South Sudan; weather related catastrophes in Myanmar, Philippines, and Guyana; and food crises in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the Sahel. She also coordinated Oxfam’s cholera response in Haiti before becoming Regional Humanitarian Coordinator in West Africa.

Paula is a trained coach, joining the Centre as a faculty coach on the Graduate Certificate of Humanitarian Leadership in 2017. She acted as Interim Director of the Centre in 2020 and occupied the coach lead role in 2021. She has participated in programmes such as Breaking Barriers, which provides mentors to individuals in marginalised groups who wish to progress their career. She is also a mentor on the Across Organisation Mentoring Programme, mentoring women in leadership across the humanitarian sector.

Paula holds a Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and a post-graduate Certificate in Organisational Coaching and Mentoring for Leadership. She is a qualified Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner and has trained as a Team Coach with David Clutterbuck. Paula is currently undertaking an MA in Coaching at Leeds Beckett University as well as Systemic Leadership Constellations Practitioner Training.

Jo Goldsmith

Humanitarian Advisor and Facilitator

In 20 years of field, HQ and wider sector experience with Concern Worldwide and World Vision UK, Jo has established, coordinated and supported humanitarian operations in a wide variety of conflict and sudden-onset crises across Asia and Africa. She has extensive experience of providing integrated programmes to affected populations as well as playing a leading role in interagency coordination efforts at local, national and global levels.

More recently Jo has worked across a wide range of humanitarian, development, peace-building, mission and academic organisations to support the development of collaborative initiatives, advise on organisational systems and processes, conduct response evaluations, and develop interactive, blended learning programmes. Through creating and delivering digital learning modules, online interactive events and in-person intensives she brings 15 years of experience to developing experiential learning that focuses on reflective practice – the key to building lasting skills and behaviours.

In the face of ever-changing contexts and increasing global challenges, Jo believes holistic approaches, active collaboration and building solutions locally are fundamental to ensuring effective and sustainable support for those at risk.

Jo holds an MA MEng in Engineering (University of Cambridge, UK), MSc in Engineering for Development (University of Southampton, UK) and a Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Leadership (Deakin University, Australia).

Leonie Lonton

HR and Learning Development Professional

Leonie has had the privilege of being involved with the design, development and delivery of the Centre’s Graduate Certificate of Humanitarian Leadership since its inception. Leonie is passionate about the humanitarian cause as well as the development and support of people working in some of the most difficult contexts and with the most vulnerable people. She is a firm advocate of the power of coaching in the development of leaders.

Leonie worked with Save the Children UK for more than 40 years; across operational, policy and learning and leadership development-orientated Human Resources roles. Leonie led the HR work-stream as part of the set-up of Save the Children International and led the People and Organisational Development team supporting learning and development initiatives across the Save the Children family.

Leonie was instrumental in setting up the Save the Children pro-bono coaching network, has been HR/Family Liaison lead on Save the Children UK’s Crisis Management teams, and supported the creation of the Humanitarian and Leadership Academy. With a BSc in Psychology, Leonie is a qualified NLP (Neuro linguistic Programming) Practitioner and is Hogan and Belbin trained. In 2016, she was awarded an MBE for her contribution to Humanitarian Services. She has recently ‘retired’.

Fiona McSheehy

Coach, Mentor and Facilitator

Fiona is a qualified Coach, Mentor and Mediator with extensive experience in humanitarian response. Her diverse experience includes senior leadership, consultancy, and significant positions in organisations such as Save the Children.

Fiona’s career has been people-centred and resolution focused. As Director of Operations at Save the Children UK, Fiona supported emergency responses globally, directly, and indirectly. She has led teams of 60 people directly and, as Country Director, a team of over 2000 staff. Fiona has worked in emergency situations caused by conflict, earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic eruption, cyclones, food insecurity, and floods. Her abilities to manage crises, and quickly form strong and effective teams, have enabled her to be successful in a wide range of contexts.

Known for being an excellent communicator, a distiller of information, and a true leader, Fiona has a deep and rich experience of problem solving, and conflict resolution at both a domestic and multi-national level. She has an ability to build instant rapport, trust, and confidence with those around her.

Nick Outlaw

Leadership Expert and Coach

Nick has significant experience leading change and improving organisational performance in complex contexts. He works with individuals, teams and at the organisational level, leading interventions that engage people and deliver real shifts in capability and confidence.

Nick has delivered leadership development for Astra Zeneca, Unilever, Arcelor Mittal, and the UK Senior Civil Service. He has worked with humanitarian organisations to support global strategy and leadership as well as senior emergency teams in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Nick helped design the Centre’s Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Leadership and has also taught the course. He is trained in Gestalt Psychotherapy and is a graduate of the NTL Institute of Applied Human Sciences.

Gabrielle Schembri

Coach, Facilitator and Learning Professional

Gabrielle draws on over 25 years’ experience to support organisations, teams, and individuals globally and at all levels to harness their individual and collective power to navigate today’s complex and changing landscape and achieve the results they seek. She has worked in, and supported those responding to, humanitarian emergencies for many years, most recently at Save the Children’s Humanitarian Leadership Academy.

Now an independent consultant, Gabrielle delivers leadership development in the not-for-profit, private, and public sectors and strives to make coaching and learning experiences engaging, meaningful and safe, encouraging deep reflection and exploration. She is also a member of the faculty for the Centre’s Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Leadership. Gabrielle holds a coaching diploma, a post-graduate qualification in coaching and mentoring for leadership in organisations and is a CIPD graduate in learning design and delivery.