Alsama Legal & Governance

I'm Elizabeth Robertson
UK Board of Trustees of Alsama

Elizabeth Robertson is a partner at a leading international law firm headquartered in New York.

She is a specialist in international white collar crime and government enforcement matters. She has been committed to pro-bono projects throughout her career, with a focus on women’s empowerment, prisoners’ rights and social mobility. In this context, she has come to understand that access to a decent education is the driver for real change. At her firm, she works on projects assisting international refugees.

Elizabeth also sits on the Board of Prime, a charity committed to improving access to the legal profession through work experience.

I'm Meike Ziervogel
UK Board of Trustees of Alsama

Meike Ziervogel is a German-British novelist with five novels to her name. She is the founder of an award-winning publishing company in the UK and a fluent Arabic speaker.

Since 2018 she has lived in Lebanon. From 2018 to 2019 she transformed a failing needle art workshop in the Shatila refugee camp into a sustainable independent business, providing a monthly income to 100 refugee women, and empowered the leadership team of five Syrian refugee women to drive the business forward on their own.

In January 2020 she set up Alsama Project with Kadria Hussien, a Syrian refugee living in Shatila. Meike is now the CEO of Alsama Project and has shaped it into one of the most innovative and successful NGOs serving Syrian refugees in the Middle East.

I'm Richard Verity
UK Board of Trustees of Alsama

For 23 years Richard Verity has served oil and chemicals companies as a management consultant. His first engagement with Syrian refugees – a pro-bono project to assess how McKinsey might help – was a matter of chance.

Or was it? Richard has always been interested in the Middle East. He taught in Turkey, consulted in Saudi and gone on holiday in Oman. And he has attempted to learn Turkish in the distant past and Arabic now. Nevertheless he could not have imagined how profoundly he would be affected by seeing Shatila and the refugee camps in the Bekaa.

Richard is Alsama's Head of Strategy and Development.

I'm Paul Mitchell
UK Board of Trustees of Alsama

Paul Mitchell KC studied Russian, Farsi and Arabic at university, completing his PhD thesis about an early 20th century Iranian revolutionary poet before going to the Bar.

He brings experience of private international law to the Board of Trustees, as well as general sensitivity to the legal issues that arise in managing a charity that raises money in the UK to be spent overseas.

I'm Suhir Helal
UK Board of Trustees of Alsama

Suhir Helal was born in Syria. She lived and studied in Damascus before she came to London in 1998 to obtain an MA in International Relations. She has worked as a translator and written for Arabic newspapers.

Over the last five years she has helped UK boroughs to resettle Syrian refugees fleeing the war in their home country. Suhir has always strived to empower and give a voice to the voiceless.

I'm Christopher (Doug) Teesdale
UK Board of Trustees of Alsama

Christopher (Doug) Teesdale has 30 years of experience working in waste management for organisations ranging from social enterprise to PLCs, such as the Kier Group.

He brings a broad range of management experience to the Board of Trustees, including budgeting, human resources, and health and safety. Also a qualified ECB cricket coach, he has led teams to county finals in U13, U15, and U19 age groups, and national indoor finals at U17. These cricket-based skills complement the sports-based work of Alsama.

I'm Krishnan Narayanan
UK Board of Trustees of Alsama

Krishnan Narayanan is an investor, entrepreneur, advisor, and director with experience working across Asia, Europe, Australasia, and North America.

Beginning his career as a strategy consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, Krishnan has worked as a partner, regional leader and senior advisor at several top-tier strategy firms. Moving into investing, Krishnan was part of the founding team of the SW7 Group alongside two former Goldman Sachs partners. Today, he remains a partner SW7 and sits on the boards of numerous companies globally.

Krishnan is also a founding partner of Clear Sky, co-leading the firm’s investment strategy and leading the firm’s relationships with sovereign investors.

I'm Ketish Pothalingam
UK Board of Trustees of Alsama

Ketish Pothalingam is an executive vice president and portfolio manager at PIMCO with a 35-year career in investment banking and financial services.

Educated at University College London and L'Institut D'Etudes Francaises de Tours, Ketish started his career at HSBC and Lehman Brothers before switching into portfolio management at Threadneedle Investmennts in 2007.

Ketish is a Senior Advisor at the UK Debt Management Office and holds multiple charitable trusteeships. He is the Chair of our UK Board.

I'm Marianne Moukhtara
US Board of Trustees of Alsama

Marianne Moukhtara counsels clients in the social impact field. She is a former Associate Director at McKinsey & Company, working across the Middle East and Pakistan in education, healthcare, and human capital. She earned her Wharton MBA on a merit-based scholarship.

Marianne is Lebanese-Danish, and believes that cross-cultural collaboration can change the world for the better. At Alsama, she brings management consulting expertise through her role as Chair of our US Board and through leading various strategic projects.

I'm Fred Perry
US Board of Trustees of Alsama

Fred Perry is the Senior Director of International Advancement at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business with extensive experience of international travel and a love for different cultures.

Having lived in eight countries, Fred is a third culture professional who has spent the majority of his life living abroad or working in an international field. His experience teaching Athletics and Physical Education in Lebanon and Syria combined with his work as Director of Development for an Indiana-based NGO gives him critical insight into the challenges and opportunities faced by Alsama.

In particular, Fred brings his knowledge of building donor relationships and growing an international donor base from his work at the Kelley School of Business. Fred is the Secretary for the US Board.

I'm Stephen Hall
Lebanon Board of Trustees of Alsama

Stephen Hall studied Arabic and Maths at the University of Cambridge before completing a Masters in Social Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

A Partner at McKinsey based in Dubai, Stephen has wide experience consulting public sector clients and has specific expertise in education and in the Middle East. His clients include governments, foundations, and international education institutions and his work has covered topics from early childhood education to the future of universities. Stephen also coordinates McKinsey’s social impact work in the Middle East, and has particular experience in advising programs that target refugees.

He is a Board Member of CodeBrave – a Lebanon-based non-profit that develops coding skills amongst disadvantaged children – and Alsama is fortunate to have him on our Lebanese Board.

I'm Sandy Boutros
Lebanon Board of Trustees of Alsama

Sandy Boutros is a Lebanese Activist and inspiring yoga teacher who is the Founder and Director of Koun NGO. Koun is a non-profit that provides yoga instruction to marginalised communities throughout Lebanon, and partners with Alsama to train our yoga instructors and students.

Sandy is a graduate from Bihar School of Yoga, the world’s first yoga University, and is deeply passionate about the power of yoga to enhance self-awareness, emotional intelligence and mental health. Sandy is a member of our Lebanese Board.

I'm General Sami el Hoyek
Lebanon Board of Trustees of Alsama

General Sami el Hoyek has over 30 years of experience in the Lebanese Armed Forces and is highly skilled in complex problem solving, organisational government, and strategic communication.

Having developed military experience in special forces, intelligence and counter-terrorism, General el Hoyek relocated to the UK to join the Lebanese Embassy before returning to Lebanon to lead the Beirut Forward Emergency Room for the Lebanese army. In this role, General el Hoyek oversaw the military relief efforts following the Beirut port explosion in 2020. He is now Director General at a private security firm in Beirut and brings his unique experience to Alsama’s Lebanese Board.

I'm Meike Ziervogel
UK Board of Trustees of Alsama

Meike Ziervogel is a German-British novelist with five novels to her name. She is the founder of an award-winning publishing company in the UK and a fluent Arabic speaker.

Since 2018 she has lived in Lebanon. From 2018 to 2019 she transformed a failing needle art workshop in the Shatila refugee camp into a sustainable independent business, providing a monthly income to 100 refugee women, and empowered the leadership team of five Syrian refugee women to drive the business forward on their own.

In January 2020 she set up Alsama Project with Kadria Hussien, a Syrian refugee living in Shatila. Meike is now the CEO of Alsama Project and has shaped it into one of the most innovative and successful NGOs serving Syrian refugees in the Middle East.

I'm Mohamad Hourani
Lebanon Board of Trustees of Alsama

Mohamad Hourani is an experienced educator and community leader, currently serving as Director of Community Engagement at the American Community School in Amman.

With over two decades of experience in education and athletics across the region, he is dedicated to fostering environments where young people grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally.

Holding a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Walden University, Mohamad brings his deep commitment to youth development and holistic education to his role as a member of Alsama’s Lebanese Board.