Professional Experience:
Key experience:
ARK Group - Strategic Communications Programme Manager
March 2017 – Feb 2018 | Istanbul, Turkey
Managed a team of around 15 people – mostly Syrian journalists and content creators – delivering a donor-funded strategic communications project to amplify the reach and impact of civil society groups in Syria. Provided sensitive editorial leadership, built strong relationships with donors and partners, developed monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and reported impact to donors. The role required constant adaptability amid fast-changing conflict dynamics in Syria, a challenging political climate in Turkey and shifting donor priorities.
UN World Food Programme (WFP) - International Communications Consultant
August 2019 to Jan 2020 | Amman, Jordan
Developed a three-year communications strategy for WFP Jordan to support its shift away from emergency response towards government capacity-building. Worked with a range of internal and external stakeholders to craft the strategy, aligning country-specific communications goals with WFP’s global goals. Drafted speeches and talking points for the Country Director, delivered media training to staff and worked with the communications team to boost their production capability in order to implement the strategy.
Al Jazeera - Executive Producer of “Start Here”
March 2021 to December 2025 | London
Led editorial strategy and production for ‘Start Here’, Al Jazeera’s digital explainer video series, which provides clarity and context on major global news stories. Wrote and edited scripts, supervised and signed-off all aspects of production, and provided sharp editorial oversight, shaping a content strategy that achieved consistent year-on-year growth in views and engagement. Under my leadership, ‘Start Here’ won multiple awards, expanded beyond YouTube into high-performing short-form vertical content on Instagram and TikTok, and produced acclaimed documentaries on Afghanistan, Syria, Mexico and NATO. The latter film was described by the AIB Awards judges as “breathtakingly focused” and praised for “the innovative and engaging way in which a gigantic topic has been distilled into a short and informative feature”.
NBC News - Executive Producer
Jan 2020 to Jan 2021 | London
Initially hired to launch daytime programming for a new international news channel, I pivoted during the pandemic to managing a team of correspondents and producers delivering multimedia news content to NBC Network and MSNBC.
Additional experience:
TRT World – Executive Producer & Program Editor
May 2015 to February 2017 | Istanbul, Turkey
Al Jazeera English – Assistant Program Editor & Output Producer
April 2008 – June 2012 | Doha, Qatar
BBC World Service – News & Current Affairs Producer
Oct 2006 – March 2008 | London
Cecily’s Ice Cream - Head of Marketing & Communications
July 2018 to July 2019 | London/remote