Meet the Team
The Pestalozzi World family is coordinated by the UK and includes Pestalozzi Charities in the USA, Switzerland, Ireland, Zambia, India and Nepal.
Even the brightest children are held back by extreme rural poverty, early marriage, inadequate local schools, displacement due to conflict and the pressure to work. Meet our incredible teams across the world who are supporting our children:
Meet the Team:
Patrons and Founders
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Luma
Patron
We are truly honoured to have his Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama as our patron.
In his own words: “I have a great deal of personal sympathy for the basic principle of trying to educate the whole person, famously expressed as educating ‘heading, heart and hands.’ This kind of holistic approach is important and effective if we wish to raise children who will grow into responsible and fulfilled citizens. ” (2005)
Sir Richard Butler and Lady Butler
Pestalozzi World Founders
Sir Richard became a social entrepreneur following a distinguished career in international banking with The First Boston Corporation and Blyth, Eastman Dilon, processor US banks of Credit Suisse and the UBS.
After learning about the transforming power of the Pestalozzi approach for children from the world’s neediest regions, he led the creation of the Pestalozzi World Villages in Africa and Asia.
Over the past five years, he has worked with the founder of Edulution to bring tablet-based education to thousands of rural children and refugees in southern Africa.
Lady Diana Butler:
Lady Butler, mother of four and grandmother of seven, is a founding Trustee of Pestalozzi World and a mother figure to hundreds of Pestalozzi World children. She founded and for nearly two decades managed the Knightsbridge Nursery School in London.
UK Board Members & Staff
Pestalozzi World Children’s Trust – UK
Kenneth Greatbatch
Board Chair, Pestalozzi World UK
As Chief Financial Officer of two public companies and of private equity owned international businesses and Chief Executive of an Australasian group Ken has spent the last twenty-five years of his career restructuring and expanding businesses around the World.
Ken was the “architect and visionary” behind the acquisition, restructuring, expansion and subsequent $2bn flotation on the London Stock Exchange of AZ Electronic Materials SA.
Most recently he was Chief Executive of GEMS, a UAE headquartered private education group, with 100,000 pupils and forty schools in the Gulf, and an adviser to Private Equity owned companies in Germany and the U.K.
He is a Chartered Accountant and Trustee of The Greatbatch Family Trust.
James Haughton
CEO Pestalozzi World
James joined Pestalozzi World in 2020. A proven Third Sector executive and non-executive Director, he brings extensive governance, fundraising, delivery and personnel management experience across dynamic, value led, charity groups. A member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, he has a Bachelors Degree in International Development and a Masters in Philanthropy, both achieved with First Class Honours.
In his previous role James developed Dig Deep (Africa) from a ‘kitchen table’ charity to a fully staffed international organisation co-funded by the Kenyan Government in a historic agreement negotiated in Kenya’s Parliament. James was formerly Chair of Our Moon Education and has been a Trustee of several other charities. Our Moon works with HALI (High Achieving Low Income) children in Zambia to improve access to Tertiary Education and this exposure was a key motivation in joining Pestalozzi World.
Caroline Doggart
Board Member
Caroline Doggart – Board MemberEducated at Girton College, Cambridge and Imperial College London, Caroline began her career at the Economist Intelligence Unit. In 1970, she wrote “Tax Havens and their Uses”. The publication went on to become the Economist Group’s bestselling publication, with 11 editions until 2005.”Caroline has worked as a senior development economist for the World Bank in Malawi, Tanzania, Ghana, Ecuador, Botswana, Haiti, the Maldive Islands and Paraguay. She has contributed to The Financial Times, The Independent and The Economist, is a Board Member of the Maria Montessori Training Organisation and a founder of the ICEA (International Consulting Economists’ Association).
Francois von Hurter
Board Member
Svante Pahlson-Moller
Advisor to the Board
Svante has an MBA from Harvard Business School and is Chair of Oracle Advisors Ltd, providing international investment advice to Oracle Management Ltd. Formerly Executive Director of Blyth Eastman, Dillon & Co. Svante lends his formidable knowledge and expertise to the PW Finance Committee and has been a dedicated Board Advisor for over 30 years.
Simon Wakely
Board Member
After twenty years of developing international markets for gemstones, Simon was appointed Director of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award World Fellowship in 1991, recruiting major donors to support the expansion of the Award programme for young people around the world.
In 1999 he was involved in setting up a new charity, Friends of Africa, to help young people in East and West Africa learn employable skills and develop sustainable livelihoods.
In 2007 he joined Pestalozzi World Children’s Trust as Executive Officer, retiring in 2013 to become an Advisory Director then in 2017 a Trustee.
Patric Klees
Advisor to the Board
Patric is a global investor and entrepreneur. He has been active in the world of alternative investments (private equity, real estate etc.) for more than 20 years. He seeks to inspire entrepreneurial leaders to exceed their expectations about what is possible-empowering them with creative solutions, ambitious stewardship, and access to resources to transform their businesses and mindsets to create superior value.
Patric channels his skills and interests into Board Member positions at two social enterprises Pestalozzi World have invested in which aim to deliver high-quality education in sub-Saharan Africa.
Patric joined the Board of Pestalozzi World as an Advisor in 2020.
Usha Kumar
Advisor to the Board
Catherine Stevens
Board Member
Sudhir Dole
Board Member
Dr Joanna Nair
Director of Programmes Pestalozzi World UK
Jo, has a PGCE as a secondary level English teacher, a Masters in Environmental and Development Education and a PhD from the School of Education and Lifelong Learning at the University of East Anglia where she specialised in international development and wellbeing. Before joining PestalozziWorld in 1996, Jo had lived and worked in Turkey and Nepal, the latter as a VSO. She has extensive experience working with children from many different backgrounds and of many different nationalities, and in the creation of educational resources for adults and children.
Jessica Faircloth
Marketing and Communications Manager Pestalozzi World UK
Jessica has extensive marketing experience in the hospitality sector and member clubs. She has several years of digital marketing experience specifically with websites and branding, working creatively and strategically.
She has a Master’s degree in Journalism.
Jessica joined Pestalozzi World in 2021.
Suzanne Davis
Head of Philanthropy Pestalozzi World UK
Suzanne has a track record of success building corporate and major donor partnerships in the UK. Formerly, she was European Marketing Director at American Express.
Emma Peadon
Senior Fundraising Executive
Pestalozzi World UK
Emma is a dedicated fundraising professional with over four years of experience in orchestrating successful events and cultivating thriving corporate and major donor partnerships.
She joined the Pestalozzi World team in early 2023.
Donna Young
Digital Marketing Executive
Pestalozzi World UK
Donna has a degree in primary education, she is also a qualified teacher with several years of experience working in a variety educational settings, supporting children between the ages of 4-11.
Before joining Pestalozzi World, Donna spent much of her time developing, designing and marketing digital educational resources primarily for new teachers.
Emily Joseph
Finance and Compliance Manager Pestalozzi World UK
Emily began her career in the oil and Gas upstream sector, where she gained extensive senior management experience during her tenure at Western Geco|Schlumberger. This was followed by five years at Invensys Rail Group where she led the financial operations of the Communication and Controls Division.
Prior to joining Pestalozzi World, she spent six years working with various charities in senior management roles.
She is a Fellow of the Charted Association of Certified Accountants (FCCA) and has a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) in Economics and Management from University of London.
Emily joined Pestalozzi World in March 2023.
Board Members:
Ken Greatbatch
Simon Wakely
Caroline Doggart
Francois von Hurter
Advisory Board Members:
Patric Klees
Usha Kumar
Svante Pahlson-Moller
Dr Gerard Silverlock
USA Board Members
Pestalozzi US Children’s Charity
Elizabeth Beim
President, Pestalozzi World USA
Elizabeth served as the Development and Public Affairs Officer for Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation and was Senior Director on Cultural Affairs at the Americas Society. She earned her degree at Hollins College before her graduate studies at the London School of Economics.
Sir Richard Butler
Board Member & Founder
Sir Richard became a social entrepreneur following a distinguished career in international banking with The First Boston Corporation and Blyth, Eastman Dilon, processor US banks of Credit Suisse and the UBS.
After learning about the transforming power of the Pestalozzi approach for children from the world’s neediest regions, he led the creation of the Pestalozzi World Villages in Africa and Asia.
Over the past five years, he has worked with the founder of Edulution to bring tablet-based education to thousands of rural children and refugees in southern Africa.
Todd Langstaff
Board Member
Anthony V. Dub
Board Member
Anthony Dub is Chairman of Indigo Capital, a financial advisory firm based in New York.
Before forming Indigo Capital in 1997, he was an officer of Credit Suisse First Boston, where he served for 26 years, having led the Asset Finance, Mortgage Finance, Capital Markets, and Investment Banking practices. Indigo Capital has invested in over 20 startups including BlueMatrix, Capital IQ, Lucid, and Morning Consult.
He was a member of the Board of Directors of Range Resources (NYSE: RRC) from 1995 to 2020 and served on the Audit and Compensation Committees.
Tony received a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Princeton University in 1971
Board Members:
Elizabeth Beim
Sir Richard Butler
Anthony Dub
Amy Hunter
David Langstaff
Todd Langstaff
Sandra Weiksner
Swiss Board Members
Pestalozzi Overseas Children’s Fund – CH
Board Members:
Sir Richard Butler
Patric Klees
Francois von Hurter
Rory Macleod
Zambian Board Members & Staff
Pestalozzi Zambia Children’s Trust
Clarence Mwami
Director, Pestalozzi World Zambia
Clarence joined Pestalozzi World Zambia in 2015. He is a qualified accountant who previously worked at the SOS Children’s Village in Lusaka.
Brian Sitamulaho
Board Chair, Pestalozzi Zambia
Brian is an Associate Director with Deloitte Africa based in Zambia. He has over 18 years of experience in advising clients in various sectors on Governance, Risk, Controls, Data Management, Internal Audit, and IT Auditing.
He holds an MBA (General), BSc in Mechanical Engineering (Hons), Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership, Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA); and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC).
Mwitti Mvula
Board Member, Pestalozzi Zambia
Mwitti joined the Board of Pestalozzi World Zambia as a
Board Member in 2018 and channels her skills and
expertise in assisting the Zambian Board with Legal and
Regulatory Compliance advice.
She is an Advocate of the High Court for Zambia with
significant experience in property law, commercial
transactions, employment law, and general legal advisory.
She currently works for a real estate and property
development company as a Compliance and Contracts
Manager.
Priscilla Mpundu
Board Member, Pestalozzi Zambia
Priscilla is a partner of a public accounting firm Bee Compliant Advisory that targets women led and managed businesses.
She has been involved with Pestalozzi Zambia for over 12 years serving at different times as a counselor to the children, an interim village manager, a parent with a child at the school and the current role as board member in that order.
She has seen a number of the children fully mature and develop into contributors to the Zambian economy.
Grace Mwenya
Board Member, Pestalozzi Zambia
Grace was a Pestalozzi World student. In 2017, she completed an Economics BA from the University of Lusaka. In 2019, she became a Tax Associate for PwC Zambia, and was promoted to Senior Tax Associate in 2022.
In 2021, she became a trustee of the Pestalozzi Zambia Children’s Trust.
Board Members:
Sir Richard Butler
Brian Sitamulaho
Sharon Panicco
Mwitti Mvula
Grace Mwenya
Priscilla Mpundu
Indian Board Members & Staff
Pestalozzi Children’s Village Society – IND
Yashpal Kapoor
Board Chair, Pestalozzi World India
President and Founder of Io Global Services, Yashpal is an alumnus of a Pestalozzi program in the United Kingdom and graduated from the Imperial College in London.
Cheme Palden
Director, Pestalozzi World India
Cheme’s family fled Tibet when the Communist Chinese took over, gaining refugee status in India. Her tertiary studies in London and Northern India included Osteopathy, English and Psychology before she earned her Bachelor’s in Education.
Sabir F. Vhora
Board Member, Pestalozzi Children’s Village Society
Sabir F. Vhora is now retired as Executive Director (Technology Development) from Nuclear Power Corporation of India ltd (NPCIL) a Department of Atomic Energy, GOI PSU. He was a Board Member of NINECL.
Himself, a recepient of a Pestalozzi scholarship in the UK, he returned with BSc (Hons) in Nuclear Engineering from University of London. He joined Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Training School and was a Homi Bhabha Prize awardee in 1982.
Thespal Kundan
Board Member, Pestalozzi Children’s Village Society
A graduate of The University of Cambridge and Moravian Theological Seminary, Pennsylvania, Thespal is an educationalist with over 40 years’ of experience.
He is Vice-President of the Dehradun Private Schools Association and a Board Member at Bharat Susamachar Samiti.
Thespal, is currently Director-cum-Principal of the Moravian Institute in Dehradun.
Tenzin Tsepak
Board Member (Alumni) Pestalozzi Children’s Village Society
Tenzin is a Lecturer at the Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education. Born and brought up in Leh Ladakh, she completed schooling from Dehradun with the help of Pestalozzi Scholarship. She now has a Bachelor and Masters in English from Delhi University .
Usha Tiru
Board Member (Alumni) Pestalozzi Children’s Village Society
Usha was a Pestalozzi World student at the Indian Village. In 2021, she graduated with a degree in Fashion Technology in Apparel Production from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, sponsored by the Tiara Foundation. She now works as Sales Trainee for World Fashion Exchange, also in New Delhi.
Naveen Sharma
Board Member (Alumni) Pestalozzi Children’s Village Society
Naveen, from Himachal Pradesh, was awarded a scholarship by the Tiara Charitable Foundation to study for a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Shimla, and graduated in 2020.
He did an internship with a private company and is now preparing for government jobs.
He has supported Indian Village students in their studies and from April 2015 to March 2016, teaching Maths and Science to Classes 10 and 12, as well as supporting selection.
Yeshi Khampa
Board Member (Alumni) Pestalozzi Children’s Village Society
Yeshi completed her schooling from St. Thomas’ College, Dehradun, in 2014.
In 2017 she completed a BA (Hons) in German language, literature & cultural studies, from Jawaharlal Nehru University, with the help of funding from Tiara.
Following this, she completed a course at Heidelberg University, Germany, which was sponsored by DAAD.
Yeshi, is currently working as as senior data associate at Amazon.
Board Members:
Thsespal Kundan
Sabir F. Vhora
Yeshi Khampa
Usha Tiru
Tenzin Tsepak
Naveen Sharma
Advisory Board Members:
Shalabh Sharma
Usha Kumar
Nepali Board Members & Staff
Nepal Pestalozzi Foundation
Ajay Shrestha
Board chair, Pestalozzi World Nepal
Ajay Shrestha was a student at our Indian village before joining Pestalozzi World in Nepal as Board Chair. He is also on the international alumni committee.
Shree Shankar Pradhananga
Project Director, Pestalozzi World Nepal
Social Worker, Former National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Nepal. Fields of experience: Good governance, financial management & accountancy, child development and community development.
Board Members:
Shree Shankar Pradhananga
Ajay Shrestha
Advisor:
Simon Wakely
Pestalozzi Education Centre School Staff
Board Members
PEC School Bamidele Akinbo
ENKO Education
Edulution
Board Members
Michael Wray
Patric Klees
