Luqman Ahmad is the Head of DAI’s U.K. Business Unit and is responsible for the successful delivery of our U.K. contracts, leading and developing our people, and achieving the commercial objectives of the unit. 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.

Nandi Hall is Senior Director of Sustainable Growth, Climate and Environment, bringing more than 20 years of experience in international development for the private and non-governmental sectors. She provides overall leadership and strategy across the Economic Growth, Climate and Environment portfolio for DAI’s U.K. business unit, including projects funded by the U.K. Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the World Bank, the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation, and British International Investment.

Zehra Zaidi is the Senior Director of Human Development for DAI’s U.K. and Europe business 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.

Cathy Shaw is the Director of DAI's Evidence, Learning & TA Facilities Practice. Formerly a researcher in economic development in transition countries, Cathy has worked on long-term programs in Nigeria and Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Since joining DAI in 2001, Cathy has acted as project director for a range of European Union and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office projects in eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and eastern and southern Africa, focusing on climate change and resilience issues. She also previously managed the Evidence on Demand program, which provided quality-assured research and evidence materials and rapid response call-down services for climate and environment, infrastructure, and livelihoods programs worldwide.

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.

Tim Samaranayake is a consultant, team leader, and director with more than 20 years of experience in international development and the private sector. As the Director of Operations at DAI, he oversees project delivery alongside technical teams and manages the commercial requirements for new project opportunities. Tim has returned to DAI after nine years, during which he worked in various roles, including for a nongovernment organization and a small and medium enterprise consultancy. He was the Managing Director at Wellspring Development Capital, a specialist food systems consultancy. He also worked as Director of Partnerships at Crown Agents, where he led business growth.

James Littleton oversees DAI U.K.'s Conflict, Stabilization, and Peacebuilding unit, having worked in the international development sector for over 25 years. He started his career as a researcher for Parliamentary Review Magazine before moving to South Africa in 2003 to set up and run The Zimbabwe Institute. He subsequently spent three years in Iraq working for the Multi-National Force on stabilization initiatives. Before returning to the UK to join Coffey/Tetra Tech as Head of Governance in 2017, James served as UNDP’s Chief Technical Adviser for Governance in Pakistan for five years.