Caroline Barber to temporarily pass the CEO baton

With Caroline Barber beginning her maternity leave this month, Florence Bearman, Head of Fundraising, and Sam Clark, Head of Programmes, have taken on joint responsibilities for the role of Acting CEO.

Caroline, who joined Transaid in 2008 and has been CEO for the last five years, had her first child in early-October, and is now taking six months maternity leave.

Commenting on the appointment of Florence and Sam, Caroline says: “I am lucky to have an incredibly talented team, so I know Transaid will be in safe and capable hands whilst I’m away. Plus, I have every confidence that they will continue to drive the organisation forward, with the support of the full team and our board of trustees.”

Florence joined Transaid’s events team for three years in 2012, before returning in 2017 as Head of Fundraising. She has more than 10 years’ experience in international development fundraising and communications, and recently completed a part-time Masters in Development Studies at SOAS.

Sam has been with Transaid since 2013 and was appointed Head of Programmes in 2017. He is a transport and community development specialist with extensive experience in implementing community-based development programmes. He also provides quality assurance and technical direction to Transaid’s road safety and access to healthcare projects.

Both will share the Acting CEO responsibilities in addition to their current roles, with their respective team members stepping up to provide additional support in fundraising and programmes.

Everyone at Transaid wishes Caroline all the best during this very exciting period, and we look forward to welcoming her back to Transaid in 2023, as we celebrate 25 years of transforming lives through safe, available and sustainable transport.