OUR TEAM
RANJ MAJUMDAR
Executive Director
Ranj is the founder and Executive Director of Global Leaders. He is passionately interested in exploring forms of deliver systems change that can transform education, health, child rights, refugee rights and conservation in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). He spent seven years leading global initiatives at Oxford and Cambridge Universities and since establishing his consultancy practice in 2015 he has worked across the non-profit sector with a range of UN agencies, international universities and NGOs in Africa and the Middle East.
Ranj believes that innovation and big-picture thinking are essential for realising the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. He is a master trainer for the global roll-out of UNICEF’s Business for Results (B4R) initiative; he has worked with the UN agency in Palestine, UNRWA, on the development of a pilot Development Impact Bond (DIB) in Gaza schools. He is currently supporting a new Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in the Maasai Mara working with the Kenya Wildlife Trust and Deloitte Consulting to deliver increased livelihoods for smallholder farmers.
Ranj is a passionate life-long learner having taken a humanities degree at Oxford as a mature student. This attitude inspired him to start Global Leaders, so he could continue to focus on what’s new and emerging in the field, rather than relying on tried and tested methods.
JAMES LOMAX
Research Manager
James is an experienced fundraiser, with a background in donor relations, prospect research and campaign management. He has worked for a number of years in the higher education sector, starting out in development offices in Cambridge University where he earned his bachelor’s degree. More recently he has led fundraising and donor relations for the University of Exeter's Cornwall campuses.
DR KILEMI MWIRIA
Strategic Partner
Kilemi Mwiria holds a doctorate degree in international education from Stanford University, and degrees from the University of Chicago and The University of Nairobi. He has sat in Kenya’s parliament and served as the country’s Assistant Minister for Education and Higher Education, Science & Technology. Previously he was an education consultant and academic in Kenya (Kenyatta University), and South Africa (University of the Witwatersrand). He has researched and published widely in the area of education and politics in both academic journals and the popular media. Of most interest for him are policies revolving around equitable access to quality education, governance and training. Recently Dr. Mwiria has served as the senior advisor for education in the Executive Office of the President, Republic of Kenya. He is a board member of the UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning (UIL) and an Adjunct Professor/Associate Scholar, the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies.
GEMMA MAY
Associate
Gemma is an experienced partnerships and fundraising expert who has worked in 3 countries for over 9 years for NGOs, start ups and education institutions for scholarship funds. She has raised over $20 million through foundations and private companies, most recently a Mastercard Foundation partnership of $9 million for an African tech SME. Gemma worked with United World Colleges (UWC) helping secure funding for the 2nd school in Africa and has extensive knowledge of setting up sustainable fundraising strategies.
Gemma likes to think outside the box when forming partnerships, from the private sector to government, to create sustainable, tailored and diverse funding streams for projects. She is a connector and loves to see new partnerships thrive and is a passionate advocate for scholarships.