Salem leads Touchline’s board and plays a leading role in the development of the group’s international strategy and its key contracts. In support of Touchline’s nonprofit engagements, Salem has acted as a strategic advisor to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other organisations, aiding in cultivating long-term relationships in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. His efforts have led to partnerships between regional state entities and foundations, and international development agencies, and generated significant fundraising.

Waleed is the chief executive of Touchline in the Middle East, and responsible for the company’s strategic development and operations. He has more than 20 years’ experience in communications and publishing, leading pivotal projects with governments, public offices and global brands, and is also a founder of Philanthropy Age.

A passionate filmmaker, Waleed directed and produced a documentary film capturing the lives of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. A second film, documenting the eradication of Guinea worm, is underway in partnership with the Carter Centre. Waleed has acted as an advisor to the Amiri Diwan of Kuwait, and Nobel laureate Nadia Murad, among others, in their philanthropic work.

Leonard is the editor-in-chief of Philanthropy Age, and an active contributor to the philanthropy and charity sectors. He is chairman of Charity Futures, the UK charity sector think-tank behind the Oxford Institute of Charity, a director of social enterprise Insaan, and sits on the advisory boards of The University of Birmingham, and the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism in the UAE, among others. He is also a consultant to the Norwegian Nobel Institute.

Joanne is responsible for strategy and content across Touchline’s government, corporate and nonprofit accounts. She is also the managing editor of Philanthropy Age. An award-winning journalist and consultant, she has more than two decades of regional and global experience, working both in the media and strategic communications space. She has specific expertise in helping mission-driven organisations to better share their stories and build their profile, and in supporting the growth of collaborative philanthropy in the Middle East.

Contact: [email protected]

Louise joined Philanthropy Age after more than a decade of reporting from across the Middle East and Africa. Her work has covered a range of topics, from the refugee crisis, to regional politics, and has been published in outlets ranging from the BBC, to The Economist, the Financial Times and AFP. She co-led The New Humanitarian’s aid policy coverage in the run up to the 2015 World Humanitarian Summit and coordinated its inaugural partnership with the Fragile States Index.

Contact: [email protected] 

Matt is creative director at Touchline and responsible for all aspects of the company’s creative process, including digital design, brand creation and development. With more than a decade of design experience across consumer, corporate and nonprofit brands, Matt also oversees the creative and multimedia content of Philanthropy Age, supported by our wider studio and videography teams.

As art director of Touchline’s Middle East operations, Liam drives the company’s creative output, inclusive of Philanthropy Age. Liam has robust experience with global brands and multinationals, including the Dubai World Trade Centre, Expo 2020 Dubai and SAP MENA. His nonprofit portfolio includes engagements with the Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, UAE Aid, Kora Bora and Project Inspired.