War Child believes in bringing together the most dedicated and creative minds to have the greatest impact for children living in conflict.
Our team is made up of 154 employees in our six countries of operation and 81 employees in our UK office, who are governed by our Senior Leadership Team, and our Board of Trustees.
We are proud to also have the support of a network of incredible ambassadors who share our values and our mission to support thousands of children affected by conflict each year.
Senior Leadership Team
Our Senior Leadership Team bring with them a wealth of experience and passion for protecting children living in conflict. Together, they drive the vision and strategy for War Child and are responsible for the day-to-day decision making at the organisation.
Rob Williams, Chief Executive Officer
Rob first worked on an overseas aid project when he was 18, with Save the Children in Morocco. A gap year experience turned into a lifelong commitment to working with NGOs and civil society which has included many years leading projects and country programmes in Cambodia, Burundi, Rwanda, Angola, Bangladesh and other places, and three years in New York with Concern Worldwide helping to establish their fundraising and advocacy work in North America. He joined War Child as CEO in 2012. Rob has a degree in Law and is a qualified Chartered Accountant. Outside the INGO world Rob has been, at various times, Deputy Children’s Commissioner for England, Chief Executive of Bliss and of the Fatherhood Institute. Rob was a recipient of the Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice in 2019 and appointed OBE in the UK in 2014. He is married with two children and lives in Cambridge.
Helen Pattinson, Director of Fundraising and Communications
One of Helen’s earliest memories was helping her mum with house-to-house collections to raise money for charities. Inspired by a belief that we can all make the world a better place, Helen has committed her career to raising money to protect some of the world’s most vulnerable children. Helen has worked for UNICEF, Christian Aid and ActionAid and has been Director of Fundraising and Communications for War Child since 2019. She has got a track record of transforming programmes and increasing net income. She is particularly passionate about storytelling to inspire others to act and has travelled extensively across Asia, Africa and the middle east to meet people whose stories need to be heard. Helen lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and three young children.
Jonathan (Jon) Mitchell, Director of Programmes & Advocacy
Jon is a senior executive in international development and humanitarian affairs with extensive experience leading, managing and improving effectiveness of programs and organizations in the international development and humanitarian affairs fields. He is currently Director for Programmes and Advocacy for War Child UK. Prior to this, Jon worked for CARE International, Oxfam Great Britain, Plan International, and ODI in senior leadership roles at country, regional, and global levels. Jon has lived and worked in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Europe, he has a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and is a dual citizen of the UK and USA.
Caroline Dean, Interim Head of Finance and IT