Our Leadership

Kashmali joined ASI in 2011 in the South Asia team, with a focus on business growth in Paksitan. Since then she has led several multi-milion pound, multi-year programmes in economic development, governance and institutional reform, climate change and education. Kashmali was awarded the presidential award from the President of Pakistan in recognition of her work in economic and social reform in 2023.

Kete Shabani is a seasoned communications expert with extensive experience spanning the private sector and international development. Her proficiency lies in crafting and executing comprehensive communications strategies, specialising in multimedia production across social media, print, video, photography, and animation.

Currently leading global communications at ASI, Kete brings a diverse international experience to her role, having worked effectively in various countries and contexts. Notably, she established and led the communications department for The International Rescue Committee during the Syria Crisis, coordinating efforts across Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria.

Her previous experiences include impactful work with Save the Children in Palestine, and a dynamic career in print journalism and publishing in Germany.

Jennifer joined ASI in 2021 as our Deputy Head of Asia-Pacific, responsible for leading some of our largest programmes in the Pacific. Prior to joining ASI, Jennifer spent almost 20 years working across the private sector and in international NGOs, and has led large country teams in PNG, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Sydney, is an accredited Chartered Accountant, an alumni of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has a diploma in Humanitarian Leadership from Deakin University.

Suvojit Chattopadhyay heads Adam Smith International’s operations in Africa, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise in governance and development. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, his work embodies a fine blend of programme implementation and rigorous research, focusing primarily on governance and developmental policies and practices.

With a robust educational foundation and extensive field experience across India, Ghana, Kenya, and Somalia, Suvojit’s approach is both multifaceted and deeply insightful, contributing significantly to the realms of policy-making and the broader discourse on international development.

Karim heads up ASI’s European subsidiary and oversees all European donor-funded work delivered across all core geographies and technical areas. Since 2016, he has contributed in making ASI a key player in the European development arena, building a vast portfolio of projects funded by the European Commission but also by the European Investment Bank, AFD, GIZ and others European donors.

Prior to joining ASI, Karim designed post-conflict stabilisation interventions in Central Africa and managed numerous public administration reform programmes in the MENA region whilst at Expertise France and at the French Prime Minister’s international development unit.

Karim holds an MA in International Development from the University of Manchester and a BA in Political Science from the University of Montreal.

Morgan has been with ASI since 2015 and was the Private Sector Development Coordinator prior to his appointment as Head of Business Development in 2017. He has worked to secure some of ASI’s most interesting projects for a range of donors across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. He currently heads ASI’s India office in Delhi.

Prior to joining ASI, Morgan worked at PwC where he managed programmes in the private sector and for the Department for International Development. Morgan is a Political Science graduate with an MA from the University of Bath, SciencesPo Paris and Charles University Prague and a BA from McGill University.

Nick leads ASI’s work in Pakistan and is our global lead on Sustainability. Nick’s professional background is in strategy consulting, with technical expertise in corporate sustainability and government change. Since joining ASI from Accenture in 2014, Nick has worked in Nigeria and Southern Africa managing large and politically complex UK government programmes in Climate Change and Infrastructure Finance.

In 2017 he transitioned into the role of Head of Sustainable Impact to support ASI’s evolution to become a B Corp. Since 2020, Nick has been based in Pakistan, firstly as DTL on the FCDO SEED programme, moving to lead the country platform in 2021, with a consulting portfolio of over £60m this time. He is passionate about bringing climate finance to meaningful projects in Pakistan – to help the most vulnerable to become more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Prior to ASI, Nick worked at Accenture, a small boutique strategy consultancy, and supporting multiple NGOs in the UK and internationally.

Adam joined ASI in 2014 and currently heads the education team, delivering education system strengthening and policy projects around the world including in East Africa and South Asia. Prior to this, Adam led our Pakistan office for three years and was deputy team lead for a renewable energy programme in Brazil. He joined ASI with a background in management consulting and three years as a secondary school teacher.

Helen joined ASI in 2022. She is a practising solicitor with very broad experience both in working in private practice for leading law firms such as Eversheds Sutherland and DLA Piper as well as the commercial and NGO sectors. She has extensive experience of advising complex international buisnesses.

Adrian joined ASI in 2017, leading the IT and information security functions. With a background in IT consulting, including 15 years at IBM in the public sector, Adrian has delivered numerous transformation and innovation projects.

He also led the IT transformation at the University of Plymouth, chaired the NFP Digital Plymouth company, and served as a Trustee of a Plymouth Academy for eight years.

Nichola, (Nicki) joined ASI as Head of Internal Audit in 2017, becoming our Head of Audit and Investigations in 2021. A qualified accountant, Nicki is a career risk and assurance professional, working in the humanitarian and international development sectors for the last 10 years, having spent 5 years at Save the Children UK and International.

She has travelled extensively, completing audits and investigations in Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia, South Asia and Asia Pacific. Prior to moving ‘in-house’, Nicki worked as a Director at Grant Thornton leading it’s UK Midlands risk assurance not-for-profit team and working as the Transformation Director (Senior Civil Servant Grade) of the Risk Assurance Division at the Department for Work and Pensions.

Nicki, who started her career with the Audit Commissions, is a Historical Studies graduate from Sheffield Hallam University.

Michael is responsible for managing ASI’s global pipeline of new opportunities. He works closely with teams across the company to devise business growth strategies for each of our services and geographies. He oversees the company’s systems and processes for all aspects of business development, including proposal development, resourcing, quality assurance, and compliance.

He has a background in both programme delivery and business development, and worked extensively on programmes in the Middle East before joining ASI. He has an MA in International Relations from King’s College, London, and a BA in Religious and Theological Studies from Cardiff University.

Henry is Head of Southeast Asia, leading ASI’s regional hub in Bangkok, Thailand. He also serves as Asia-Pacific lead for business growth and partnerships, with a focus on ASI’s expanding portfolio with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). An accomplished development and security practitioner, Henry has extensive experience designing and delivering solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges for public, private, intergovernmental, and not-for-profit clients.

Prior to ASI, Henry worked for the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in Southeast Asia, focusing on countering transnational organised crime and security threats, and later helping design a range of UK-funded bilateral, regional, and multi-country development programmes. He has also worked for the UNODC Regional Programme for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, as well as several leading consultancy firms and think tanks.

Henry holds a Bachelors from the University of Sheffield, a Masters from King’s College London, and is currently a part-time PhD candidate and UKRI Future Leaders Scholar at the University of Bath.

Tom joined ASI in 2015 and has focused primarily on developing ASI’s portfolio of programmes across the MENA region. He is currently Project Director of ASI’s TAFFI programme in Iraq and has delivered programmes in Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Prior to joining ASI, Tom worked on governance reform for the World Bank in Washington D.C. He holds an MA in International Economics from Johns Hopkins (SAIS) and an MA in Modern History from the University of Oxford.

Connor is ASI’s Head of Economic Growth, bringing over a decade of experience in economic development, trade, and policy advisory. Prior to this role, he held leadership positions including Senior Manager of Economic Development at ASI and Principal Consultant at Urban Foresight, where he drove innovative solutions in urban and economic strategies.

His extensive government experience includes roles as Asia Economist at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and Economic Advisor for trade modelling at BEIS during pivotal moments like Brexit. A dedicated mentor and academic support tutor earlier in his career, Connor combines technical expertise with a passion for impactful growth strategies. At ASI, he focuses on creating transformative economic outcomes in complex and fragile contexts.

Peter is the Global Lead for ASI’s Urban Development & Infrastructure portfolio, overseeing initiatives across Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), Energy, Climate Resilience, Transport, and Waste Management. With extensive experience in fragile and conflict-affected states, Peter has delivered transformative projects for bilateral and multilateral organisations across Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

Prior to the UK, Peter supported the establishment of ASI’s Asia-Pacific offering, working closely with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to advance regional development priorities.

Amal joined ASI in 2018 and is currently managing a $112 million multi-donor pooled fund for the delivery of humanitarian assistance inside northwest Syria.

Prior to this she oversaw one of the FCDO’s largest education programmes, globally, in the northwest of Pakistan. She has fourteen years of experience spanning humanitarian, education and microfinance programming.

Katy has over a decade of experience designing and delivering security, stabilisation and governance programmes in the Horn of Africa, with a particular focus on Somalia. In her role as ASI’s Head of Somalia, Katy oversees our large and diverse portfolio of technical assistance and grant delivery programmes in the country, across sectors including Security, Justice, Stabilisation, Public Financial Management, and Education.

She also directly oversees the effective delivery of our security sector reform programmes in the country and of our work in the Kenya-Ethiopia- Borderlands, through her role as Programme Director on these three programmes.

Gerrit is a dedicated ACCA finance professional with extensive experience in various financial roles. He joined ASI during January 2017 in the Southern Africa office. Gerrit contributed to the climate change programme Vuna, where he was involved in project finance, grant management, and external assurance through both client and corporate audits.

Gerrit is currently serving as the Group Financial Controller, where he manage complex Group financial management and consolidations.

Helen joined ASI in March 2025 as Head of ASI’s Pakistan Platform. Helen has extensive experience working in the public sector on complex programmes across South Asia, the Middle East and South Africa. Prior to joining ASI, Helen worked in the UK Foreign Service, the NGO sector and in consulting. Helen is skilled in project management, change management, communications, policy analysis, security sector reform, and human rights.  Helen has also played key roles on steering committees and developed “roadmaps” for transition.​​

Helen has a Philosophy degree from the University of Warwick and a Masters in International Development from the University of London.

Mark Gilkes sits within the government reform team and provides strategic oversight to a range of programming in East Africa covering governance and security sector reform in Somalia through to energy access and digital initiatives in Ethiopia.

Mark’s has extensive experience working with the public and private sectors. He has delivered sensitive and high-profile programming at the centre of government and across the full range of anti-corruption functions for governments across Africa. He has significant experience supporting investment facilitation including the negotiation of a large (>$200m USD) agriculture public private partnership in Ethiopia.

Mark holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from King’s College London.

Amanda joined ASI in April 2025 as Head of People & Talent and, following the expansion of her remit, became Global Head of People in April 2026. She brings more than 20 years of international HR and People leadership experience, having built her career across manufacturing and telecommunications before transitioning to the international development sector in 2011,  notably working with Central Asia Development Group (CADG) and DAI.

A Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Amanda has extensive experience leading People functions within global complex matrix organisations. Having lived and worked in China and Singapore for a decade,, she offers deep international expertise and a strong track record of leading dispersed teams and delivering strategic HR initiatives across Asia, APAC, Africa, the Middle East, North America, Europe, and the UK. Her experience combines strategic leadership with hands-on operational delivery in diverse and often challenging global environments.

Shelby is a Principal Manager in our Asia Pacific team, driving business growth, partnerships and programme delivery for ASI’s expanding portfolio with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).  Shelby joined ASI in 2023, bringing over 15 years of experience in agricultural market systems, inclusive economic growth, gender and disability equity, and women’s economic empowerment, underpinned by an extensive understanding of Australia’s international development priorities in the Indo-Pacific.

Prior to joining ASI, Shelby held senior roles with World Vision International across Sri Lanka, Mozambique and Southern and Eastern Africa leading humanitarian response community development programmes. She has worked with a broad range of clients and partners including DFAT, USAID, the European Union, the United Nations, the World Bank, and the FCDO.  Shelby holds a Masters of International and Community Development from Deakin University.