PRESS RELEASE 鈥� 19 October 2022
Caroline Nursey OBE, who has been Chief Executive Officer of 大象传媒 Media Action since 2009, will retire in spring 2023, the 大象传媒鈥檚 international charity announced today.
Caroline joined 大象传媒 Media Action from Oxfam GB, where she worked as Deputy International Director, and as Regional Director based in Nairobi and later Senegal, as well as leading work in Sudan during the Darfur crisis.
At 大象传媒 Media Action, Caroline has overseen the expansion of the charity to its current presence in 22 countries, with annual income of nearly 拢40 million.
Caroline Nursey OBE, Chief Executive Officer, said:
鈥淔rom my first steps through the doors at Bush House as 大象传媒 Media Action鈥檚 Chief Executive Officer 13 years ago, I have been immensely proud to lead the 大象传媒鈥檚 international charity. I believe strongly that people have the power to change their lives when they have the tools to do so 鈥� and trusted information is a critical tool in that process. We have reached hundreds of millions of people around the world in that time, and our research demonstrates our impact.
鈥淭hrough the Ebola outbreaks in West Africa, the Nepal earthquakes of 2015, the pandemic, the prospect of a freer society in Afghanistan before falling to the Taliban, and now through the war in Ukraine, our dedicated staff and our partners continue to ensure that trusted information 鈥� more needed and precious than ever 鈥� is brought to our audiences, when and where they need it most, so that they can make sense of events, adapt, and create a better life for their families.
鈥淪ome of my most enduring memories come from visits to our country offices 鈥� sitting under a mango tree in South Sudan, in a community without mobile phones, TVs or radios, listening to our health programme on a wind-up radio and hearing families discuss the information afterward. It reminds me that, even as digital media advances, we are still able to reach people when no other media can.
鈥淚 will miss 大象传媒 Media Action tremendously and I am very proud of all we have accomplished together. But I am looking forward to spending more time with my partner Jonathan and my family in Jersey, not to mention my bees!鈥�
Francesca Unsworth, Chair of the Board of Trustees of 大象传媒 Media Action, said:
鈥湸笙蟠� Media Action has been so fortunate to have Caroline at the helm. Her wealth of experience, her passion for development, her courage and her pragmatism have ensured that the 大象传媒鈥檚 international charity has been able to modernise and adapt in a digital age, while continuing to reach the world鈥檚 most marginalised people and deliver real impact.
鈥淭hese last few years in particular have thrown up huge challenges 鈥� a global pandemic, the narrowing of civic spaces and conflict 鈥� and Caroline has met them all with determination and dedication. We will miss her immensely, but the Board wishes her well in her hard-earned retirement.鈥�
Caroline began her career as a teacher before joining VSO in Tanzania; she went on to join World University Service, rising to the position of Executive Director, before joining Oxfam in 2002.
She served as chair of Bond, the umbrella organisation for UK-based international development organisations, from 2017-2019, and is currently chair of Quakers in Britain.
She was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen鈥檚 Birthday Honours List in 2014, for services to international development.
The search for her replacement will begin immediately and Caroline will remain in post until her replacement begins, allowing for a smooth transition.
For more information or interviews, please contact Carolynne Wheeler, head of communications, on carolynne.wheeler@bbc.co.uk or, after hours, the 大象传媒 Press Office on press.office@bbc.co.uk.
About 大象传媒 Media Action:
大象传媒 Media Action is the 大象传媒鈥檚 international charity - we believe in the power of media and communication for good. We work in more than 20 countries supporting the independent media essential to democracy and development. Last year, our projects and programmes reached 120 million people facing poverty, inequality and insecurity with information they could trust, helping to improve health, protect livelihoods and our planet, bridge divides, challenge prejudice, and save and change lives.
We are not funded by the 大象传媒 TV Licence Fee and we rely on our donors and partners to carry out our work. To find out more, please see bbcmediaaction.org.