Luqman Ahmad provides strategic direction and support for both DAI’s HMG Government Business Unit and our Sustainable Business Group, which serves private industry. He brings more than 25 years of experience advising on economic growth and government reform and has served in managerial, leadership, and technical roles. As a consultant, he has worked with clients in more than 20 countries, designing policies, programs, and interventions that have improved lives by making economies stronger and governments more effective. In his various leadership and management roles, he has overseen programs covering a range of areas including market development, investment climate reform, labor market and skills development, inclusive economic growth, and economic governance. www.dai.com/who-we-are/our-team/luqman-ahmad

With over 25 years of experience in the sector, Polly is responsible for our business development and strategy with DAI’s UK Government clients as well as donors such as the World Bank and Swiss Government. Since joining DAI in 2000, she has worked on both business development and delivery across a broad range of programs in our portfolio. These programs have been technically as well as geographically diverse, including programs in Nigeria (governance and economic policy development), Bangladesh (monitoring and evaluation), and South Africa (governance and business enabling environment within the forestry sector). She also acted as Technical Director of the UK-based Livelihoods Resource Centre and its successor program, CEIL PEAKS.

Nandi Hall is Senior Director of Sustainable Growth, with more than 20 years of experience working in international development in both the private and non-governmental sectors. She oversees the Sustainable Growth portfolio for DAI’s U.K. business unit, including projects funded by the U.K. Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the World Bank, the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation, and British International Investment (BII).

Amanda leads DAI Human Resources Management across UK and Europe. Prior to joining DAI in 2015, she spent 12 years working in the United Kingdom and 10 years working and living in China and Singapore, leading human resource activities across Afghanistan, Africa, China, India, Southeast Asia, and the United States. She has experience in global change management and shaping an organisation’s culture by working with clients and business units to develop human capital strategies and coaching leaders in dealing with key people management and development issues.

Zehra Zaidi is the Senior Director of Human Development for DAI’s UK and Europe units and has designed and led programs focused on education, innovation, governance, and social entrepreneurship. She has worked in challenging political and operational environments including South and Central Asia, East Africa, and the Middle East on programs supported by multiple donors. Zehra has worked extensively with parliaments, political parties, electoral bodies, and civil society organizations in a range of contexts across Kenya, Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Tajikistan to support institutional strengthening and reform, as well as enabling successful models of public-private partnerships.

Jeremy heads up both the internal audit and the ethics and compliance functions for our European offices. As such, he is the custodian of the control environment for the company and its network across the project portfolio as well as being the liaison for ethics issues and policy in Europe. He has 25 years of experience auditing pan-European businesses.

Chris leads the U.K.'s HMG business partnering team, which provides financial operations and support to all programs within the HMG business unit. His main area of expertise lies within project finance, and throughout his tenure, he has worked on multiple programs across the globe with a variety of donors.