Akila Lingham

Akila joined Girls Not Brides as interim Director of Operations in August 2021, bringing a wealth of senior management experience and knowledge to oversee global operational areas including finance, human resources, organisational culture, legal compliance, risk management, due diligence, safeguarding and membership operations.

Akila has over 25 years of senior-level experience spanning the private, public and the INGO sectors. She has been responsible at a global, regional, and country level for creating and implementing systems for the effective management of finance and grant management, accounting, human resources, IT administration, facilities, logistics, security and strategic planning. She has also worked closely with boards and trustees across a number of international charities, including War on Want, The Aga Khan Foundation, ARTICLE 19, Internews Europe, PEAS, Human Rights Watch, Save the Children and WomanKind Worldwide. She is passionate about advocating against human rights violations, particularly for women and children.

Akila holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies and an MBA. Her final thesis was completed in Human Resources management in 2000. More recently, she earned both a Diploma in Charity Accounting (DChA) and an MSc in Charity Accounting and Financial Management in 2020.

Akila has also served as a Board member for Human Rights Watch Charitable Foundations in Tokyo, Amsterdam and Geneva, and as a Trustee for Child Rights and You (CRY) in London.