Smile Foundation Bolsters Leadership in Strategy and Others
Smile Foundation, one of the largest development organisations in India, has announced three senior leadership appointments. The foundation aims to strengthen its organisational capabilities, people practices, and strategic partnerships as the organisation advances its next phase of growth and social impact.
Smile Foundation has appointed Sanjeev Dham as Executive Director, Shadab Khan as Head – Human Resources, and John Sankey Sutherson as Country Director – Resources & Strategic Partnerships.
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Commenting on the appointments, Santanu Mishra, Co-founder, Smile Foundation, said, “As our programmes deepen and expand across India, strengthening our institutional capabilities becomes increasingly important. Mr. Dham, Ms. Khan and Mr. Sutherson collectively bring extensive experience across programme leadership, people management, partnerships and organisational development.
"Their complementary expertise will help us strengthen our systems, people and partnerships, and advance our mission of creating sustainable change for communities.”
Sanjeev Dham brings over three decades of expertise across public health, organisational management, strategic partnerships and institutional growth.
He has worked with organisations such as Population Services International, Mamta Health Institute for Mother and Child, and EngenderHealth, leading large-scale programmes and partnerships with governments, global donors and corporate stakeholders.
As the newly appointed Executive Director of Smile Foundation he says, “Smile Foundation has developed a strong delivery model connecting education, healthcare, livelihoods and women empowerment".
"I look forward to strengthening organisational systems, deepening programme effectiveness and supporting the foundation in delivering sustainable and measurable impact at scale.”
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Shadab Khan brings over two decades of human resources leadership experience across corporate sector, development organisations, and social enterprises. She has worked with VisionSpring, Population Foundation of India and the United States-India Educational Foundation etc.
Her domain of expertise includes talent and performance management, organisational development, leadership onboarding, change management, diversity and inclusion, employee engagement and staff well-being.
At Smile Foundation, she will lead the Human Resources function and strengthen people practices and organisational culture.
As the Head – Human Resources, she says, “People are at the heart of every organisation’s ability to create meaningful impact. I look forward to fostering a culture that supports learning, inclusion, well-being and professional growth, while enabling our teams to serve communities with empathy and excellence.”
John Sankey Sutherson brings more than 20 years of experience in international business development, strategic partnerships, resource mobilisation and institutional growth.
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He began his career at HelpAge India and subsequently spent 14 years at Room to Read, progressing to Senior Development Director, Corporations and Foundations, the Middle East and Southeast Asia regions.
As the Country Director – Resources & Strategic Partnerships, Smile Foundation he said, “Sustained social impact depends on partnerships built around shared purpose, trust and measurable outcomes".
"I look forward to deepening engagement with corporates, philanthropies, institutions and development partners to create lasting change for underserved communities.”
The appointments strengthen Smile Foundation’s leadership across organizational strategy, people development and partnerships, supporting its efforts to expand sustainable development outcomes across India.