OUR PEOPLE & LEADERSHIPMeet the team

With personal experience of working in high-risk, fragile environments, the CTG team knows what it takes and are here to support both clients and consultants

Lord Westbury | Chairman of the Chelsea Group

Lord Westbury

Chairman of the Chelsea Group
Lord Westbury | Chairman of the Chelsea Group

Lord Westbury

Chairman of the Chelsea Group
Richard worked on every continent during his time in the SAS, and was intimately involved in many international incidents during the 1980s. He was decorated for bravery and appointed as MBE. Following his distinguished military career, he was Deputy Chief Executive of the Leadership Trust. A company specialising in leadership development training, the Leadership Trust later became a Chelsea Group company. In 1991, he joined Defence Systems Ltd, a company providing security services in Africa, and became their CEO in 1995. During this time, the client base increased from eight to over 200 multinational companies and supra-national agencies. In 1999, Richard formed the Hart Group, providing specialised global security services, and later created several other businesses that now make up the Chelsea Group. Today the Chelsea Group employs 16000+ people across 69 countries and offers services in risk management, crisis response, remote site management, aviation security and more. While Richard enjoys the innovation that is possible in enabling businesses to operate in challenging locations, he also recognises the absolute necessity of corporate social responsibility and is proud that the Group has been involved in numerous shared value projects.
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Lady Willcocks | Deputy Director of Post Conflict People

Lady Willcocks

Deputy Director of Post Conflict People
Lady Willcocks | Deputy Director of Post Conflict People

Lady Willcocks

Deputy Director of Post Conflict People
Penny is experienced in the International Security and Post-Conflict Stabilization fields. She has worked for the UK Government and in Private Security and Risk Management, and has taken an active role in Democracy Building with International Institutions including the United Nations. Her career began in 1973 in the UK Security Service.  She has served operationally in Northern Ireland (from 1976-77) and throughout the Balkans. Penny has worked on extensive missions for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Cabinet of the High Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina working closely with the European Commission, the European Council and NATO. Penny founded the NGO, Post Conflict People, which worked to improve practical performance of Governments, International Agencies, Companies and individuals working in post-conflict areas. Penny was a founding member of the British Association of Private Security Companies (BASC) which set the path towards international regulation of the private security industry.
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Claus Haugaard Sørensen | Senior EU Advisor and former Danish diplomat

Claus Haugaard Sørensen

Senior EU Advisor and former Danish diplomat

Claus Haugaard Sørensen

Senior EU Advisor and former Danish diplomat
Claus Haugaard Sørensen is Senior Adviser to the European Union. In 2006 he was appointed Director General for the Commissions’ Communication Department, and in 2011 he took on the role of head of the Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection DG in the European Commission (ECHO). During this role, Claus became a driving force in improving the EU’s responses to crisis and conflict-affected victims. He led the reform of the international Humanitarian system, leading up to the Istanbul Humanitarian Summit in May 2016; and he also promoted the resilience approach and disaster risk reduction approach, both globally and inside the European Union. Claus has a background as a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and a long history of work within the EU. In 1990 he joined the European Commission’s Cabinet of Vice-president Henning Christophersen working on the EURO, relations with Eastern Europe, the Enlargement with Sweden, Austria and Finland as well as the European Social dimension and Environmental issues. From 1999 and 2011, he served as Director for International Environmental issues and Head of Cabinet for the Commissioner for Agriculture and the Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian assistance. Claus holds a Masters in Economics from Aarhus University and regularly lectures at Lund, York and Copenhagen Universities.
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Alice Laugher  | Chief Executive Officer

Alice Laugher

Chief Executive Officer

Alice Laugher

Chief Executive Officer

Alice is passionate about what CTG stands for: Committed To Good. A vocal advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals, Alice leads by example to ensure women play a broader role in humanitarian projects in high-risk environments by spearheading the CTG Female First initiative.  She is the winner of the Oslo Business For Peace For Award, as well as being an SDG Pioneer for the Empowerment of Women in Conflict Settings awarded by the UN Global Compact. She has 20 years of experience managing operations in challenging environments. From the day that Alice stepped into Iraq, in 2003, she felt a certainty that she was meant to work assisting communities, particularly local people, of fragile and conflict-affected countries. Over the years she has expanded CTG’s operations from an Afghanistan focus to 25 countries.

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Alexander Bethell  | Non-Executive Director

Alexander Bethell

Non-Executive Director

Alexander Bethell

Non-Executive Director

Former Senior Vice President of CTG, Alexander was responsible for overseeing CTG’s business strategy and managing the company’s humanitarian client relationships globally. Alexander started at CTG in 2010 as an Account Manager supporting client projects in Afghanistan and Iraq, and proceeded to spearhead the development of CTG’s operations in Somalia – which under his management became the company’s largest operational hub. Alexander then led CTG’s expansion wider across Africa and into new territories, overseeing the implementation of special projects, including its disaster response to the Ebola crisis in Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2015. Thorough planning and execution are Alexander’s keys to success, and he hopes to show the world how effective CTG’s operations have been as he remains an important part of the CTG Board with close visibility on the company’s strategic direction and monitoring performance.

In 2018 Alexander moved to the role of Chief Operating Officer for the Chelsea Group, expanding the Group’s global reach and local impact across South America, Africa and the Middle East.

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Claire Hoey |  Chief Financial Officer

Claire Hoey

Chief Financial Officer

Claire Hoey

Chief Financial Officer

Claire joined CTG in 2023 as Commercial Director. Claire’s focus is on examining CTG’s current strategies, improving upon our current processes, and developing and implementing financial and commercial strategies to accelerate growth.

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 Charlotte Ravoet | Chief People Officer

Charlotte Ravoet

Chief People Officer
Headquarters

Charlotte Ravoet

Chief People Officer
Headquarters

Charlotte joined CTG as Chief People Officer on 1st November 2024. In her first few months, she has been deeply impressed by the caliber of CTG’s talent, the organisation’s caring and dedicated work culture, and the remarkable growth over recent years. Charlotte is particularly excited by the potential CTG holds to support clients in hard-to-reach locations, providing agile and efficient solutions leveraging cutting-edge staff management technology.

With 19 years of HR leadership experience at Google, Vodafone, and the UN-World Food Programme (WFP), Charlotte brings extensive expertise from both the private and public sectors. Her work across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and East Africa has enriched her understanding of diverse cultural contexts. Charlotte is deeply passionate about managing people inclusively and driving large-scale transformations that deliver innovative, impactful solutions across sectors.

Charlotte’s academic journey includes a master’s in organisational and social psychology (2005), a Diploma in Business Administration from HEC (2006), and a Coaching Certificate from INSEAD (2023), all reflecting her commitment to inclusive leadership and continuous professional growth.

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Renée Sauvé-Lemieux   | Chief of Staff

Renée Sauvé-Lemieux

Chief of Staff
Headquarters

Renée Sauvé-Lemieux

Chief of Staff
Headquarters

Renée has extensive experience providing high-level strategic guidance and executive support to senior teams within the United Nations, and Public and Private sectors. She is skilled at managing executive offices, program delivery, operational planning, logistics coordination, HR processes, financial oversight, communications, and information management initiatives. She is motivated by continuous learning and purpose driven environments.

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Algene Suria  | Director of Support Services

Algene Suria

Director of Support Services
Headquarters

Algene Suria

Director of Support Services
Headquarters

Algene possesses the remarkable ability to convert complex ideas into user-friendly solutions. With a decade of experience in progressively responsible positions within Business Transformation, Digitalisation and Business Operations roles, Algene has made a mark in the field.  He derives immense satisfaction from introducing enterprises to the digitalized world and optimising their processes in the most efficient manner possible. As the Director of Support and Services, Algene oversees the Recruitment, Technology & Innovation and Customer Service team with precision and competence.

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Vanessa McCulloch | Communications Director

Vanessa McCulloch

Communications Director
Headquarters

Vanessa McCulloch

Communications Director
Headquarters

Vanessa joined the Chelsea Group in 2015, overseeing the marketing for several of the companies including CTG. A Brit living in Cape Town, with a degree in English Literature from Durham University, she spent 11 years in publishing before taking a side step into the world of marketing. Highlights of the role have included the rebranding of CTG in 2017 and working on the ‘Day In The Life’ campaign that shares stories from the inspiring CTG humanitarians working in fragile and conflict-affected countries. Vanessa looks forward to continuing to share CTG’s stories and their commitment as an ethical partner for the humanitarian and development communities. She heads up the Cape Town support office which houses CTG’s bids, marketing team and Assist360.

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Jakob Kejerud | Bid Director

Jakob Kejerud

Bid Director
Headquarters

Jakob Kejerud

Bid Director
Headquarters

Jakob joined CTG in 2018 as the company’s Bid Manager and was promoted to Bid Director in 2023, making him responsible for the Bid Team and compilation of all proposals. The role primarily entails researching, preparing, writing, managing the bid team and submitting all necessary information required from CTG clients or potential business associates, with the goal to continue the organic growth of the company. Jakob has an MBA in Logistics and International Marketing and has for an additional 7 years before joining CTG worked within Bid Management in different multinational companies in the service sector.

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Lucy Holliday | Global Account Director

Lucy Holliday

Global Account Director
Headquarters

Lucy Holliday

Global Account Director
Headquarters

Lucy Joined CTG in 2014 having run her own business in Delhi before that. After spending three years based in Kenya and Somalia, Lucy became the Commercial Manager for the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region based out of the London office but spending the majority of her time in Tunis, Amman and Beirut. Today she is the Global Account Director.

Lucy enjoys the challenge of operating in high-risk locations and believes it is all made worthwhile by enabling clients to implement humanitarian aid and assistance that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. She’s a yoga nut, with a love of travel and used to ride professionally, representing Great Britain.

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John Batty | Global Head of Accounting & Treasury

John Batty

Global Head of Accounting & Treasury
Headquarters

John Batty

Global Head of Accounting & Treasury
Headquarters
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Rania Guindy | Global Risk Director

Rania Guindy

Global Risk Director
Headquarters

Rania Guindy

Global Risk Director
Headquarters

Rania joined CTG in June 2025 as Global Risk Director, bringing over 15 years of experience in humanitarian operations, primarily with the ICRC, as well as IOM and UNHCR. Her background spans crisis response, security management, protection, and access in conflict and complex environments. At CTG, Rania oversees duty of care for all deployed personnel and is working to strengthen risk systems and frameworks that are grounded in operational realities, particularly in high-risk contexts. Drawing on her field experience, she is passionate about building inclusive, context-aware security cultures that enable teams to operate effectively and safely across complex environments.

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Iman Shawwa | Regional Director

Iman Shawwa

Regional Director
Middle East, Europe & North Africa

Iman Shawwa

Regional Director
Middle East, Europe & North Africa

Iman joined CTG in 2018 as Country Director in Somalia and is now Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. She is responsible for the overall strategic leadership and direction of the CTG MENA Region. Iman has a Master of Science Degree in Sustainable Development from the University of London and specialised in Development Management at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). With more than 29 years of professional experience, of which 17 were acquired working with the United Nations in Palestine and Libya, Iman has extensive experience in humanitarian and socioeconomic development processes, and more specifically with the ‘New Way of Working’ that addresses the Humanitarian–Peace–Development (HDP) nexus. She also has vast experience in aid effectiveness, programme management and global partnership formulation. Iman is Lebanese Canadian and has a son and a daughter.

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Mary Ellen Havlik | Regional Director

Mary Ellen Havlik

Regional Director
West Africa

Mary Ellen Havlik

Regional Director
West Africa

Mary Ellen, a Canadian living in Nigeria for 16 years, joined CTG in 2021 as the Country Manager. She has over 30 years of professional experience and has worked and volunteered across a variety of sectors. Over the years, she has held management positions in media relations, corporate services, information management as well as strategic planning.

She has been fortunate to travel with her work to other African locales including Kenya, Uganda, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Togo, and South Africa. Mary Ellen enjoys travel as it gives her the opportunity to meet new people and to explore the cultures and traditions of other world citizens. As an avid art collector, this also gives her the opportunity to find new artists and invest in their work.

She is now Regional Manager for CTG’s operations across West Africa.

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Pierre Doucet | Regional Director

Pierre Doucet

Regional Director
Asia

Pierre Doucet

Regional Director
Asia

Pierre is committed to CTG’s mission of delivering impactful humanitarian staffing solutions. As Regional Director for Asia, he actively engages with stakeholders, clients, and local communities to ensure the seamless delivery of CTG’s programmes. With extensive experience in supply chain management and HR operations in high-risk environments, Pierre recognises that every role contributes to a greater purpose, driving positive change where it’s needed most. 

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FEMALE FIRST

Find out more about CTG’s commitment to women’s
empowerment through employment in conflict settings.