Ms Gugu Xaba, CEO Save the Children South Africa

Ms. Gugu Xaba initially joined Save the Children in 2016 as Programme Director, her dedication, passion, and expertise have been evident throughout her journey with us. After a brief absence, she returned in February 2022 to continue her role as Programme Director, and her exceptional contributions earned her the position of Interim CEO in January 2023, with the departure of Mr Steve Miller.

Gugu brings with her a wealth of experience in the development sector, with a strong background in public health and a profound commitment to coordinating projects that positively impact communities. Her leadership at Save the Children has already led to numerous successful interventions that have improved the lives of countless children and families across our nation. We recognize Gugu's strengths in team collaboration, and her ability to engage with diverse stakeholders, both within our organization and in the wider community. Her skills have helped foster strong relationships with our dedicated teams, driving us forward towards our shared vision.

While Gugu's accomplishments as a programmes expert are unquestionable, we are also cognizant of the importance of effectively advocating for our cause and representing the face of our brand.

Charlotte Balfour-Poole, Head of Coaching Humanitarian Leadership Academy

Charlotte has over 18 years experience in the humanitarian sector and is currently Head of Coaching with the Humanitarian Leadership Academy in Save the Children. She leads an ambitious and complex Senior Leadership and Coaching portfolio spanning both internally and externally developing and ensuring a strategic and comprehensive coaching offer is available across the humanitarian sector.

Previously Charlotte was Global Head of Humanitarian Education for Save the Children (SC) and the Director of the Humanitarian Technical Unit. Charlotte began her career as a Humanitarian Education Response Advisor deploying to a vast array of complex, protracted and sudden-onset humanitarian crises as part of SC’s Global Emergency response team designing, delivering, coordinating and monitoring high quality and appropriate education responses in humanitarian settings.

Charlotte is passionate about education and leadership (especially girls Education & Women in Leadership). She is a qualified Coach, as well as an Associate Trainer with RedR, Mentor and facilitator, focused on individual, team and Leadership Coaching. She is currently studying for a Masters in Executive Leadership Coaching and also holds an MSc in Child Development, a Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership Coaching and Postgraduate Certificates in Humanitarian Leadership, Leadership Coaching and Psychology.

Deb Barry, Interim Head of Learning & Capability Humanitarian Leadership Academy

Deb is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in youth development, child protection, and leadership, with a global perspective. Having held senior management positions with humanitarian agencies for a significant portion of her career, she has garnered extensive expertise in managing and implementing programs in various challenging contexts.
With a tenure of over 20 years at Save the Children, Deb has demonstrated her commitment to improving the lives of children and communities in diverse locations, notably in conflict and crisis-affected regions such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Haiti. Her experience spans across continents, including work in Japan, Guatemala, Azerbaijan, Georgia, China, Poland, Ukraine, Kosova, Macedonia, and the USA.

Deb's contributions extend beyond her role at Save the Children, as she also served as the Learning Lead for the Graduate Certificate of Humanitarian Leadership Residentials at the Center for Humanitarian Leadership at Deakin University for a period of 4 years. Her dedication to nurturing future humanitarian leaders underscores her passion for capacity building and knowledge dissemination within the sector.

As an independent senior child protection and youth inclusion consultant, Deb collaborates closely with international governments, INGOs, and UN agencies to drive impactful initiatives. Her proven track record in program evaluation, capacity training delivery, team empowerment, and research highlights her proficiency in creating sustainable change and fostering inclusive approaches to development.

Deb's expertise extends to developing international training programs and policies for NGOs, government bodies, and foreign military groups, focusing on leadership in humanitarian crises, team dynamics, youth-led advocacy, protection, and child rights. Her multifaceted skill set and dedication to advancing the humanitarian agenda make her a valuable resource in shaping the future of humanitarian action and promoting the well-being of vulnerable populations globally.

Thomas Lay, Regional Humanitarian Director Save the Children International

Thomas is the East and Southern Africa Humanitarian Director at Save the Children and has been working across East Africa for the last 10 years. For the last few years, he has focused on re-identifying humanitarian action in response to megatrends, including the climate crisis, in advance of the next era of humanitarianism.