Infrastructure

The consortium works in three areas: Start Fund (financing for emergency response); Start Build (strengthening civil society capacity); and Start Beta (creating platforms for partnerships and learning).

The governance is overseen by the Assembly, which consists of one senior representative from each agency as well as their deputy. The Assembly meets quarterly to:

  • Set the strategic direction of the Consortium
  • Make decisions relating to finances and membership
  • Consider recommendations from the Advisory Group
  • Oversee management structures

The Network Board implements the strategy. The Board currently consists of six member agency representatives acting in an individual capacity, elected by the Assembly:

Matthew Carter Head of Humanitarian CAFOD
Saul Guerrero Director of Operations Action Against Hunger
Nick Guttmann Head of Humanitarian Division Christian Aid
Bob Ruxton Head of International Support Concern Worldwide
Aleema Shivji Director Handicap International
Nigel Timmins Deputy Humanitarian Director Oxfam

 

Central Team

A core team of staff are responsible for managing the activities of the Network. As well as providing a brokering role for the members, the team also pursues new opportunities for innovation and development.

Sean Lowrie
Emily Montier
Tegan Rogers
David Hockaday

Sean Lowrie

Director

Sean is the Director of the Start Network. He has worked in various humanitarian crises and at the headquarters level for several international NGOs in different places. In 1999 Sean moved to the UK to develop and run the global dissemination of the Sphere humanitarian performance standards.

He then became a strategy and organisational change consultant, working for the UN, NGOs and many multi-agency partnerships. At the same time he studied Social Science and contributed to the Humanitarian Futures Programme at King’s College London.

Emily Montier

Crisis Anticipation Advisor

As Crisis Anticipation Advisor Emily supports the Start Network members to develop their anticipatory capacities, including facilitating timely access to rapid response funds.

Emily has worked in the humanitarian sector since 2007 in a range of HQ and field-based roles. Most recently she worked in the Humanitarian Response Team at Save the Children, supporting emergencies in West and Central Africa. Prior to this she was with The British Red Cross and Relief International.

Emily holds an MSC from the London School of Economics and an MA from Edinburgh University.

Tegan Rogers

Communications and Administrative Officer

Tegan is the Communications and Administrative Officer for the Start Network. She is responsible for leading the Start Network’s communications strategy and coordinating platform activities and events.

She holds a certificate in partnership brokering for multi-agency collaborations in the humanitarian sector.

Tegan has a background in media and behavioural research, and a BA from the University of Sussex.

David Hockaday

Transition Manager

David Hockaday has been working as a broker on complex collaborations since 2009.

Formerly with CARE USA working on the Emergency Capacity Building Project as a field facing coordinator of the five consortia, David is now working for the Start Network as a Transition Manager.

Before this David has worked since 1996 in various humanitarian management roles at country and HQ level for Save the Children and Oxfam, including Deputy Country Programme Manager for Oxfam in South Sudan and Emergencies Adviser for Save the Children’s response to cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.

David is married with two young children and lives in Oxford, UK.

The Board

  • Mike Noyes Head of Humanitarian Response
    Action Aid
  • Saul Guerrero Director of Operations
    Action Against Hunger
  • Matthew Carter Head of Humanitarian
    CAFOD
  • Colin Rogers Head of Emergencies
    CARE International
  • Nick Guttmann Head of Humanitarian Division
    Christian Aid
  • Michael Mosselmans Head of Humanitarian Policy, Practice and Advocacy.
    Christian Aid
  • Rose Caldwell Executive Director
    Concern Worldwide UK
  • Aleema Shivji Director
    Handicap International UK
  • Frances Stevenson Head of Emergencies
    HelpAge International
  • Joan Carey Deputy Director of Operations
    International Medical Corps
  • Eleanor Dougoud Director of International Programmes
    International Rescue Committee
  • Sanjayan Srikanthan Emergency Field Director
    International Rescue Committee
  • Mohammed Afsar Head of Humanitarian
    Islamic Relief
  • Imran Madden Head of Humanitarian
    Islamic Relief
  • Qasim Mehmood Ahmed Head of Emergencies
    Muslim Aid
  • Nigel Timmins Deputy Humanitarian Director
    Oxfam
  • Nazma Kabir Director of Programmes
    Plan
  • Jamie Hall Executive Director
    Relief International UK
  • Gareth Owen Humanitarian Director
    Save The Children
  • Oenone Chadburn Head of Humanitarian Support
    Tearfund
  • Dan Collison Programme Director
    War Child
  • Mark Bulpitt Head, Humanitarian and Resilience Team
    World Vision