Sentebale introduces the role of Executive Director and strategically shifts senior leadership to Southern Africa

9 December 2024, LONDON – In an exciting shift as a part of the organisation’s strategy to invest in the growth of a locally led organisation, Sentebale is making its first move to place the most critical senior roles in close proximity to its programmes in Southern Africa.

Sentebale was founded in 2006 by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. Deeply inspired by their mothers, Princess Diana and Queen Mamahato—courageous women who used their platforms to raise awareness about difficult subjects and brought hope and help to vulnerable communities. Sentebale means “forget-me-not” in Sesotho, the language of Lesotho. Sentebale addresses issues of health, wealth inequity and climate resilience in Lesotho and Botswana.  The organisation is guided by the vision that all children and young people in southern Africa are empowered, healthy and resilient. Alongside this is the opportunity for leadership to reflect the region and its needs.

CEO Richard Miller will step down after a tenure of over five years during which the organisation successfully expanded from a prime focus on HIV/AIDS to a much broader programme of integrated support for children and young people. London-based Miller, who brought almost 40 years of international development experience to the role, will hand over to Carmel Gaillard, a Johannesburg-based development leader, in a newly created Interim Executive Director role and in a planned move that champions localised leadership with the most senior level role situated within the region.  Gaillard brings deep development experience having held leadership roles with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and REPSSI. She has been a strategic advisor to Sentebale based in Lesotho for the past six months, and previously supported Sentebale as an international programme advisor. Gaillard transitions into the role this month with a mandate to lead the organisation through a transformation agenda involving digital optimisation and data-driven strategies for programmes and operations with a view to increasing impact at scale and supporting fundraising activities from innovative impact investors. Following completion of the transformation project, Sentebale will determine vacancies and commence its executive search for permanent roles during 2025. The Executive Director role will replace that of CEO.

This strategic decision comes out of the organisation’s evolution from one focusing on addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and young people, to one that is addressing issues of youth health, wealth and climate resilience with the support of innovative funders.  This transition will enable the organisation to shift greater executive decision-making power to the Southern Africa region.  This comes off the back of a first-of-its-kind convening for Sentebale in the region this past October, of local and international thought leaders in the development space, designed to bring together actionable ideas to support the next generation, expanding the potential and possibility for what Sentebale could do on its own.

“This leadership change will clearly demonstrate Sentebale’s relevance as a leading development actor, said CEO Richard Miller. “I welcome this change and believe it is an exciting way forward that will help unlock new sources of funding and energy for the organisation, ensuring it is best placed for future success. It is the logical next step for Sentebale, and the time is right for this shift to local leadership. Carmel is an incredible asset to position Sentebale further as a leader in the region.”

Interim Executive Director, Carmel Gaillard said, “Returning to support the work of Sentebale at such a pivotal moment for the oganisation is a true honour.  Our programmes have the potential to be a blueprint for change in the region, with a focus on sustainable programme development and innovative funding solutions from both within the region and beyond that will allow us to put the big ideas into practice that will take us to the next level of impact for young people in southern Africa.” 

Adds Dr Sophie Chandauka MBE, Sentebale’s Board Chair, “We deeply appreciate Richard’s investment in our Africa based team that has transformed Sentebale into a more dynamic and integrated support system for our young people following the pandemic. These foundations have positioned us to welcome Carmel Gaillard, whose expertise and innovative approach to programmes and regional collaboration will be key. Our strategic shift to anchor leadership in Southern Africa enables Sentebale to build on the investment of legacy donors whilst attracting next-generation impact investors and funders. Funders increasingly prioritise organisations that authentically demonstrate local ownership of problem solving, digital innovation and data-driven approaches to driving sustainable impact at scale.”

Co-Founding Patrons, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho say, 

“Sentebale has greatly benefited from Richard’s extensive expertise in international development. We are deeply grateful for his compassionate leadership and unwavering commitment to empowering children, young people, and their communities across Southern Africa. Leading into our 20th anniversary, our organisation will be locally led, aligning with the global movement towards fostering greater local agency and ownership. This shift reflects our continued commitment to being guided by voices from within the region we serve. We sincerely thank Richard for his pivotal role in steering our organisation toward this important evolution.”