Staff Profiles

Muna Wehbe – Chief Executive (on maternity leave)

Muna has been Chief Executive of the STARS Foundation since 2002. Prior to joining STARS, Muna worked as a consultant at Wehbe Insurance Services, managing several large-scale projects in both Dubai and London. Before that, she spent four years as a customer marketing executive at Procter & Gamble, working on various brands within key UK accounts and helping to develop the skills of new graduates joining the company. Muna is a graduate of the London School of Economics.

Julian Gore-Booth – Chief Executive (interim)

Julian joined STARS in June 2011 and has 20 years of experience in international development. He was previously Chief Executive of the Said Foundation, a UK registered charity supporting education, health and cultural heritage in the Middle East. He has held both regional and country director posts for the International Red Cross and covered a range of emergency and development operations in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Early in his career he spent two years with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency based in Jerusalem. Julian is a trustee of the Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust which works to conserve the UK’s underwater heritage. He is married with two children.

Bryony Barrass – Administrative Officer

Bryony joined STARS in October 2010 as Administrative Officer. Prior to working at STARS Bryony was PA to the Head of HR Operations at Brighton and Hove City Council. She is a graduate of the University of Brighton where she obtained a BA in Cultural and Historical Studies.

David Crook – Development Director

David joined STARS in July 2009 and is leading the organisation’s work on fundraising and partnerships.  Prior to this role he was Director of Fundraising for UK national education charity Rathbone, where he established a new team and led the successful development of the organisation’s first major fundraising initiatives. 

David has worked with charities for over 12 years, including four as a consultant with Cause & Effect specialising in cross-sector partnerships for clients including Vodafone, Sky, Children with Leukaemia and Scope.   He is also a member of the Institute of Fundraising’s National Convention Board.

Cécile Hyafil – Programme Officer Asia-Pacific

Cécile joined the STARS Foundation in March 2009. Prior to STARS, she worked in Paris as a volunteer within Bank Crédit Agricole’s Communications and CSR department, and at Consultants Sans Frontières, a charity offering consulting support to NGOs working in the field of international development. She is a recent graduate of La Sorbonne, where she completed a Masters in Economics and Management. This follows a B.A and Masters in International Relations at Sciences Po Bordeaux.

Samia Zoued – Programme Officer Africa-Middle East

Samia joined STARS in November 2010 and is responsible for the STARS Impact Awards programme in the Africa and Middle East region. Prior to this, Samia worked for Computer Aid International, managing their programmes in Latin America and Francophone Africa which ranged from e-governance to e-agriculture. She also worked in the commercial sector for Eurocopter EADS group and Ernst and Young. Samia has studied and lived in France, Spain and the UK and holds a BA in Project Management and Economics and also an MA in Business Management from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Provence, France.

Sarah Johnstone – Programme Assistant Africa-Middle East

Sarah joined STARS in September 2011, following internships at Peace Brigades International UK, the Sheila McKechnie Foundation and the Oak Foundation. These positions were preceded by an MA in International Studies and Diplomacy at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and a BA(Hons) in Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Leeds.

Katie Williams – Programme Assistant Asia-Pacific

Katie joined STARS in September 2011. Prior to this, Katie worked in database administration for a charity called St Luke’s Hospice, and before then at Oxfam Cymru, working on policy and advocacy in Wales. Katie is a graduate of the University of Sheffield, and holds a BSc in Economics and an MA in International Development and Planning.