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Project Speaker Biographies

The Federation Programme Team is planning a varied and interesting Programme for Conference, and has chosen speakers to reflect and inform Soroptimist work.

Friday morning, following Keynote Speaker Michael Kaufman there will be presentations on club projects around Domestic Violence issuesRebecca Lewin of Plan International will be giving a presentation.

Rebecca Lewin MSci
@PlanUK

Rebecca is Director of Logistics & Procurement at Plan International, covering a portfolio of more than 50 countries.  Her responsibilities span a global supply chain including more than 3000 vehicles, over 600 physical premises and spend of more than €400m a year.  Rebecca’s role takes her from Latin America, to West Africa, to Asia and the Pacific and varies from supporting the operations of long term development projects to working in rapid onset humanitarian crises.

After graduating from University College London with a Masters in Astrophysics, Rebecca has worked in the NGO sector for over a decade including at Merlin, Oxfam GB and with the Global Logistics Cluster at WFP.  Her sector roles have included positions at Merlin, Oxfam GB and with the Global Logistics Cluster at WFP.  A sector specialist on cash and markets based programming and the links therein to Humanitarian Supply Chains and, last year, was among a delegation representing Logistics at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul.  Rebecca’s publications include co-authoring the paper Delivering in a Moving World (2016), outlining a number of future humanitarian trends and their intrinsic interdependence to supply chain, and supply chain actors.  Rebecca’s other achievements include leading the innovative inter- agency partner capacity building project PARCEL www.parcelproject.org and the development of the resource page for cash and markets information.

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. PLAN believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, PLAN strives for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

www.plan-uk.org


Kevin Hyland OBE
@UKAntiSlavery

Kevin is the UK’s first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. He was appointed to the role in November 2014 and acted as ‘designate’ Commissioner until the UK’s Modern Slavery Act received Royal Assent in March 2015, when he became Commissioner. He works to spearhead the UK’s response to modern slavery, his aims are twofold: to see an increase in the number of victims of modern slavery identified and referred for appropriate support; and, in tandem, to see an increase in the numbers of prosecutions and convictions of traffickers and slave masters.

A former head of the london Metropolitan Police Service’s Human Trafficking Unit and a police officer of 30 years, Kevin specialised in investigation of serious organised crime, including homicide, gun crime, anti-corruption and human trafficking and slavery.

www.antislaverycommissioner.co.uk


Stephen Chapman

Stephen is the Welsh Governments’s Anti-Slavery Co-ordinator, He has also worked for the London Organising Committee for the Olympic & Paralympic Games, the UK Border Agency, the Police Standards Unit & Violent Crime Unit at the Home Office, Cardiff Council and in the Police Service. Stephen leads and co-ordinates the multi-agency response to tackle slavery which aims to make Wales hostile to slavery and provide the best possible support for survivors.

He is a member of the Wales Anti-Slavery Leadership Group, Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group for Modern Slavery, Home Office Modern Slavery Strategic Implementation Group, All Wales Portal Group, Modern Slavery Helpline Advisory Board, Board Member Crimestoppers Cymru and a member of a number of other key UK and National Groups. Stephen is also proud to be an Ambassador for the White Ribbon Campaign which promotes men taking a stand trend violence against women.


Kim Ann Williamson

Kim-Ann is a member of the Wales Anti-Slavery Leadership Group and is the Strategic Objectives Lead, chairing the Training Sub Group that delivers the multi-agency training strategy for Wales. She also chairs the Wales Anti-Slavery Operational Delivery Group which facilitates the sharing of good practice and delivery of local initiatives through the Regional Anti-Slavery Groups. In addition Kim-Ann chairs the Wales Anti-Slavery Casework Review Group which by sharing good practice seeks to improve the investigation and prosecution of slavery cases and the provision of support to survivors. She also chairs Wales Sex Worker Support Sub-Group, as well as the UK Modern Slavery Training Delivery Group which reports to the Home Office modern Slavery Unit.

Kim-Ann began her career with the Metropolitan Police Service and worked in various units including CID, Child Protection and Domestic Abuse Teams. In 1997 she transferred to the Crown prosecution Service and has worked in London, Wiltshire and is currently working in Wales. 


Angelina Rodriguez
@BAWSO

Angelina is Deputy Chief Executive of Bawso, an all Wales Organisation that provides specialist services to black minority ethnic communities affected by domestic abuse and all forms of gender based violence. She is a member of the Wales Anti-Slavery Leadership Group, leading the victim care pathway for Wales.

Angelina is instrumental in the expansion of service delivery projects at Bawso, successfully developing the first BME refuge in South West Wales, and in 2007  developing the first trafficking refuge in Wales .

She is a trustee for End Violence against Women and girls (EVAW) also for ABESU, an International charity established to advance sustainable responses to the relief of poverty in Africa. In 2010 she was awarded the Leading Wales Award.

www.bawso.org.uk


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