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Our trustees

Trustees

Trustees

Helen Downie

Treasurer
Trustees

Helen Downie

Treasurer

Helen is a Chartered Accountant and charity finance specialist, with over twenty years of experience in financial leadership roles in the charity sector. After qualifying at Deloitte, Helen has worked with charities in the international development, refugee, and veterans’ sectors and is currently Director of Finance at The Royal British Legion.

Having previously worked in the refugee sector, I am passionate about helping refugees to build a new life in the UK. I am excited to be joining the Board of Breaking Barriers to support financial decision-making at a key point in the charity’s history, as we grow our services to support more people across the UK.

Trustees

Alba Lamberti

Chair of the Board of Trustees
Trustees

Alba Lamberti

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Alba is a non-profit leader with 22 years of executive experience in global, award-winning think tanks, and comes with a wealth of experience serving as a Trustee on several charitable Boards, including Accountability Lab, Women in International Security (WIIS) Italy, and the PM Sports Foundation in Ghana. Alba also has a strong track record in scaling organisations for impact and spearheading change management.

Trustees

Kelly Maklowicz

Trustee
Trustees

Kelly Maklowicz

Trustee

Kelly is a fundraising specialist with over 20 years’ experience. Kelly’s experience across the non-profit sector has helped grow mass fundraising programmes for environmental charities, heart research and most recently mental health.

Kelly’s passion is social justice and she is looking forward to using her skills to expand Breaking Barriers reach and influence, enabling more refugees to gain access to meaningful employment.

Trustees

Katie Rickard

Trustee
Trustees

Katie Rickard

Trustee

Katie Rickard is the director of country programmes and operations at IMPACT initiatives. Katie currently oversees over 20 country teams and in previous roles with IMPACT initiatives, worked in South Sudan, Iraq and Jordan. Katie holds a MPhil in Development studies from the University of Oxford.

Having worked in conflict and emergency settings over the past 6 years, I am deeply aware of the injustice that push communities to seek asylum. While I am proud that the UK continues to welcome asylum seekers, there are critical gaps in service provision for meaningful integration, gaps which I see Breaking Barriers in a unique position to fill.

Trustees

Lena Sabbagh

Trustee
Trustees

Lena Sabbagh

Trustee

Lena Sabbagh is Global Head of Organisational Effectiveness at Aesop. Much of her career has been spent helping organisations to improve their performance through maximising the potential of their people. Prior to joining Aesop, Lena worked for Burberry, after over 20 years in organisational consulting, including latterly three years as a Director in Deloitte’s Organisation Transformation practice. Lena holds an MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge, and an MSc in Organisational Psychology from Birkbeck, University of London.

Since my childhood growing up in northern England, as the daughter of Syrian immigrants, I have been aware of the challenges of integrating into a host community in a new country, or a country in which you are seen as ‘not from here’. Add to that the trauma of fleeing war and persecution, and the challenges multiply. As an HR professional, and with over 20 years experience in the psychology of work, it has long been clear to me that central to a person’s ability to integrate into, and contribute to, a host community is the ability to work. This is the laser focus of Breaking Barriers, and it is my privilege to support its vital mission.

Trustees

Barbara Serra

Trustee
Trustees

Barbara Serra

Trustee

Award-winning journalist, writer and broadcaster with more than 20 years’ experience presenting and reporting for leading news organisations Al Jazeera English, Sky News and the BBC. A dual Italian/British national, Barbara has focused on the issues of migration, identity and the rise of the Far Right. Barbara is particularly interested in supporting us to media train refugees so they are equipped with the necessary skills to speak publicly. 

After decades spent reporting on migration and refugees, I wanted to collaborate with an organisation which helps those forced to leave their homes with the challenges they face settling into a new environment. 
 
The great thing about Breaking Barriers is the practical help and effective solutions they provide to their clients. Together, they highlight what a great asset refugees can be to a society, and provide examples of success and integration that can counteract what is often a toxic debate around the issue.

Trustees

Andrew Waidhofer

Trustee
Trustees

Andrew Waidhofer

Trustee

Andrew Waidhofer is a Vice President at Apax Partners and has been involved in a number of key deals in the services space. Prior to joining Apax Partners, Andrew worked at HSBC. Andrew holds a Masters in Pharmacy from the University of Nottingham.

As a son of immigrants myself, I understand first-hand the difficulties of starting a new life in a country which is unfamiliar in so many aspects. Breaking Barriers’ focus on helping support immigrants through every step towards employment, whilst cultivating direct partnerships with businesses, is both impressive and unique; and one that I am incredibly privileged to be associated with.

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