Ms. Cheng-Hopkins was previously the Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees in charge of Operations (2006-2009) in over 118 countries around the world, including the voluntary return and reintegration of refugees and internally displaced persons.

Prior to that, she was the Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) in New York. From 1997 to 2000 she was Director of WFP’s Asia and Eastern Europe region where she oversaw large and complex emergency operations. She previously served the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Africa for ten years, first in Zambia (1982-1988), then in Kenya (1988-1992), and as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa (2002-2003).

Ms. Cheng-Hopkins received a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Beloit College in the United States (1976), and a master's degree in economic development from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (1978). She has also received diplomas from l’Université d’Haute Bretagne in France and Harvard University.

Ms Cheng Hopkins is Malaysian. She grew up in Penang, and attended St George’s Girls’ School, went for a year abroad as an American Field Service (AFS) exchange student to Scarsdale, New York and then returned to Penang to finish Form 6 at St. Xavier’s Institution.

Dr Ahmad Faizal is Consultant Physician, Internal Medicine, Respiratory and Sleep at KPJ Johor Specialist Hospital.

He joined MERCY Malaysia in 2003 as a volunteer and was elected into the Executive Council in the same year. He has extensive international humanitarian experience in countries such as Sri Lanka, Iran, Sudan, Nigeria, Indonesia, Pakistan and Myanmar. As of 2004, he oversees MERCY Malaysia’s relief, health and preparedness operations. He was elected Vice President in 2008 and assumed the position of President in August 2009.

Dr Ahmad Faizal received his Doctor of Medicine in 1992, and his Masters in Internal Medicine in 2000 from the National University of Malaysia.

Based in Hong Kong, James Huitson and his team manage a number of Hong Kong and international clients, where they have delivered spectacular results on warm direct marketing programmes.

Prior to Pareto Fundraising, James worked in a number of fundraising roles in the UK, including a stint as Director of Fundraising at Turning Point. There, he developed and implemented a successful strategy that increased the organisation's revenue from institutional funders such as the UK Government, the national lottery and a wide range of trusts and foundations.

Ed Schenkenberg van Mierop has served in his current role from 1998. Founded in 1962, ICVA is a global network of 80 NGOs working on humanitarian coordination, policy, and advocacy. In his capacity as ICVA Coordinator, Ed participates in international humanitarian policy and coordination bodies. His expertise focuses on issues such as humanitarian principles and humanitarian space; protection; inter-agency coordination and partnership.

From 1992 until 1998, he worked as a humanitarian affairs officer with Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and was deployed in various countries and areas, including the Bangladesh-Burma border region, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, and D.R Congo.

He holds a masters degree in International Law from Leiden University in the Netherlands.

Milet Mendoza is a founding member and executive committee member of the Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN).

Milet was the Executive Coordinator of Tabang Mindanaw (Help Mindanao) for nine years since its inception in 1998. She is an active advocate of peace policy, and also provides technical assistance to Caritas Manila and other agencies in the Greater Manila Area in humanitarian operations and disaster risk management.

Prior to joining the NGO social development field, Milet worked for the technical secretariat of the Philippine Government Peace Negotiating Panel for Talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines – New Peoples’ Army – National Democratic Front (CNN) for four years.

Milet Mendoza earned her bachelor degree in Psychology at St Paul College of Quezon City (now St. Paul University) in 1984, and has completed her masteral units in Sociology at the Ateneo de Manila University.

Dr Jemilah Mahmood is the founder of MERCY Malaysia, and held the position of the President from its inception up to July 2009.

She was a Vice Chair of the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) from 2006 to 2009 and a Board member of ICVA and HAP International. She was also the Co-Chair of the Global Humanitarian Platform (2008-2009).

She received her Doctor of Medicine from the National University of Malaysia in 1986 and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (UK).

Since joining the ICRC in 2001, Craig has undertaken a number of assignments, including postings in Zimbabwe, Serbia, Indonesia, Syria and Myanmar. His work has mainly centred on building sustainable partnerships between the ICRC and the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as well as the coordination of international Red Cross and Red Crescent response to crises.

His interest in humanitarian issues grew from a long association with New Zealand Red Cross, ultimately serving a three-year term as its National President. Prior to joining the ICRC, Craig enjoyed a successful career in the fields of sales and marketing, mainly in the textile and forestry industries in New Zealand.

Craig Strathern holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Otago, New Zealand.

He was also Chair of Northern Sudan INGO Forum to July 2009, and is currently the Vice-Chair of the same forum. He was previously the Advisor to African Union and the UK Department for International Development (DfID) on Eastern Sudan and Darfur peace processes.

Prior to that he served Concordis International as the Research & Programme Manager, and also served as a Senior Editor of Peace by Piece under Conciliation Resources in London (2006).

Mark Simmons holds a Bachelor of Arts in Modern European Languages, and Master of Arts in Islamic History and Masters of Science in Violence, Conflict & Development.

In his current role, Jason Smith leads Red Cross Red Crescent communications programmes across thirty-seven countries in Asia and Pacific, from Afghanistan to the Pacific Islands. Prior to joining the IFRC in June of 2008, he served for ten years in senior leadership roles with the American Red Cross.

Before joining the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, he worked in political grassroots organizing, promoting the arts, and in the field of education.

Mamadou Ndiaye is currently the General Director of Office Africain pour le Développement et la Coopération (OFADEC)

Prior to that, Mamadou Ndiaye served as the Regional Director of the Tamba Counda Banana Program.

From 1998 to 2006, his former role in the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) took him to Afghanistan, Chechnya, Kuwait, Iraq, Darfur in Sudan as well as the ICRC HQ in Geneva.

As a consultant since 2006, he has extensive experience in 25 countries, with clients ranging from UNHCR, WFP, UNRWA, ICRC, IFRC, ICVA, VOICE, Action Against Hunger and numerous research institutes and think-tanks.

In a very distant career, he was a Canadian Army officer, and was also a peacekeeper in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1993.

Raj Rana holds a Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture (Research), both from Carleton University, Canada. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Advanced International Program in Peace Studies from the European University for Peace Studies, Austria.

Prior to his current assignment, Alan Vernon was the Director for Organizational Development and Management in UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Mr. Vernon previously served as UNHCR Representative in Sri Lanka as well as field assignments in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Thailand.