Staff

Leadership in Action
At Leadership Initiatives for Transformation, we believe transformation is driven by people. Our team works with local leaders, civic networks, and reform-minded institutions to advance peace, accountability, and inclusive governance

Hanan Abdulmalik

Founder and Managing Director

Hanan Abdulmalik

Hanan Abdulmalik is a governance and peacebuilding specialist with over 20 years of experience supporting democratic transitions, civilian coalitions, and inclusive political processes in conflict and post-conflict contexts. She is the Founder and Managing Director of Leadership Initiatives for Transformation (LIT), a governance and democracy-support consultancy focused on Africa, with a particular emphasis on Sudan.

Previously, Hanan served as Country Director for Global Partners Governance (GPG), where she led extensive technical, logistical, and strategic support to Sudanese civilian democratic coalitions, alongside broader youth, women, and civil society networks across Sudan and the diaspora. Her work has centered on strengthening civilian legitimacy, fostering inclusive dialogues, and advancing a “third way” Sudanese-led political process for peace.

She has facilitated structured dialogues and consultations with diverse actors—including women’s groups, youth networks, intellectuals, and religious leaders—across Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda, and has played a key role in bridging Sudanese civilians with regional and international actors such as the African Union, IGAD, and key donor governments.

Hanan is also highly experienced in organizational development, donor engagement, and compliance. She is deeply committed to advancing locally owned solutions, equity, and inclusivity in peacebuilding and governance.

Alaa Abdurahman

Project Manager

Alaa Abdurahman

Alaa Abdurahman is a Project Manager with over five years of experience in international development, governance, and trade across Ethiopia, Sudan, and the wider East African region. She has managed donor-funded programs advancing public-private dialogue, trade policy reform, and the participation of women, youth, and informal businesses in regional integration. At CIPE, she led initiatives supporting entrepreneurs and awareness campaigns on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). At Global Partners Governance, she works on projects providing political and inclusion support to Sudan’s civilian democratic coalition.
She holds a Master’s in Organisational Leadership from Unity University and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Information Systems from Addis Ababa University. Trilingual in Arabic, English, and Amharic, she brings expertise in program and grant management, stakeholder engagement, and adaptive implementation in complex political contexts.

Mai Faisal

Program Manager

Mai Faisal

Mai Faisal is a political and feminist activist committed to defending women’s rights, justice, peace, and democracy in Sudan. She previously worked as Personal Assistant and Office Manager to the Minister of Cabinet Affairs in the transitional government before the October 25 coup. From November 2021 to November 2022, she served as the Administrative Manager of the Tasseety Center for Studies and Researches, an institution focused on issues of democratic transition and civilian governance in Sudan.

Between December 2022 and August 2025, she worked with Global Partners Governance (GPG) as a Senior Program Officer. In collaboration with her colleagues, she contributed to expanding GPG’s engagement in Sudan and supporting democratic civilian actors at critical moments: before the October 25 coup that halted the democratic transition; during the civilians’ struggle to restore the democratic path; and throughout the ongoing war, where the team supported efforts to bring together pro-democracy civilian actors in meaningful dialogues that strengthened coordination, fostered unity, and enhanced opportunities to end the war.

Maureen Nicholson

Senior Programme Manager

Maureen Nicholson

Maureen Nicholson is a programme and partnerships leader with over 15 years’ experience in international development and humanitarian contexts. Her career has centred on securing and managing complex programmes that strengthen governance, build resilience, support sustainable livelihoods, and deliver timely humanitarian assistance. Maureen brings extensive experience in Africa, most recently in Sudan, Ethiopia and Malawi. After the onset of the April 2023 war in Sudan, she joined Global Partners Governance to support democratic civilians in an inclusive peace process. She is motivated by ensuring programmes are both impactful and sustainable – balancing strategic vision with operational delivery – while ensuring that cross-cutting issues such as gender equity, safeguarding and compliance are prioritised.