Senior Management Team

The Senior Management Team undertakes the day-to-day operations of the organization and represents the different components of the Secretariat. It includes the Regional Directors.  

The Senior Management Team members have substantial experience in their respective disciplines, applied in the sexual and reproductive health sector. Most have worked for not-for-profit as well as private sector non-governmental organizations. They provide IPPF with a platform of solid, proven leadership skills.  

Tewodros Melesse, Director-General

Tewodros Melesse took up the post of IPPF Director-General in September 2011. An economist who studied at the Catholic University in Louvain, Belgium, he has over 25 years’ experience in family planning and reproductive health, starting in 1984 as a programme officer with FPIA.

He subsequently joined IPPF Africa Region and gained extensive experience planning, developing, monitoring, and managing large-scale development and reproductive health programmes in Africa. He assumed the directorship of the Africa Regional Office in 2002, and vigorously refocused and restructured the operation. Tewodros brings to the role a profound belief in leadership founded on transparency and vision.

Garry Dearden, Director of Organizational Effectiveness and Governance

Garry Dearden joined IPPF in 1984. He has served the Federation in several technical and managerial positions and currently has responsibility for organizational learning and evaluation, knowledge information systems, policy development and governance. In recent years, he provided the lead staff support for the establishment of the Member Association accreditation system; the restructuring of IPPF's governance; and the Mid-term Review of IPPF’s Strategic Framework.

Prior to joining IPPF, Garry worked at the New University of Ulster. Before that, he carried out a series of evaluation studies of innovative approaches to teaching and learning at several universities in the UK and USA.

John Good, Finance Director

John Good has responsibility for the financial direction of IPPF. He ensures that the organization has systems and reporting mechanisms in place to meet the evolving requirements of donors and regulatory authorities.

He is charged with ensuring that financial information is available and utilized in a transparent manner, in order to guide effective decision-making across IPPF and its Member Associations. A key part of his role is to support the independent audit committee which scrutinizes and reviews IPPF’s internal systems and reporting mechanisms. Prior to joining IPPF he worked for Leonard Cheshire Disability and spent over 20 years in the commercial sector.

Owain James, Director of External Relations

Owain James joined IPPF in 2012.  He is responsible for leading the Federation’s External Relations areas. This includes advocacy, resource mobilization and communications.

Prior to IPPF Owain was Global Coordinator for the Global Campaign for Education (GCE).  He  began his career as National President for the National Union of Students (NUS) where he represented three million UK students. He then worked for Oxfam as their Education Campaign Manager and then MDG Campaign Manager.  He was involved in the Make Poverty History White Band campaign and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty.

Julia Bunting, Director Programmes & Technical

Julia Bunting joined IPPF in 2012.  She is responsible for leading the Federation’s Programme and Technical areas. Her academic background is in Human Science and Medical Demography. 

Prior to IPPF she worked for over 12 years with the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Most recently she was Team Leader of the AIDS and Reproductive Health Team in the Policy and Research Directorate. Julia was the UK Government’s lead on the July 2012 London Family Planning Summit. Since June 2009 she has been the non-Executive Chair of the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition and she represented the UK Government on the Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

Regional Directors

6 Regional Directors ensure good governance and high standards within their regions and support the work of their local Member Associations.