Our Team

Jeannie Zielinski

Country Director, Syria

Jeannie Zielinski has worked with GOAL since January 2019 and has overall responsibility for the planning, management and development of GOAL’s work in Syria. She leads a team of more than 500, most based in Northwest Syria but with support staff in Turkey and Jordan.

She has extensive experience in the international humanitarian and development sector. As a results and value-driven leader, manager, and adviser, she has overseen complex multi-million dollar budgets, and has led on designing, building and implementing programmes.

Before joining GOAL Jeannie worked for over 25 years with CARE holding senior positions in Africa and Latin America. In more recent years she worked with CARE in the USA in change management, overseeing key projects during transition and leading on global strategic partner mapping.

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Janette Macleod

Director of Global Systems, GOAL Global

Janette Macleod is GOAL’s Director of Global Systems. 

Janette joined GOAL in Feb 2016 as Senior Humanitarian Advisor and was in that position for two years. For the last four years, Janette was Assistant Country Director Systems.

Prior to joining GOAL, Janette was Grants Officer and then Programme Supervisor with Cairngorms National Park Authority in the UK and prior to Cairngorms, Janette worked with Merlin (UK based International Charity) in Logistics, Operations and Project Management related roles.

Janette holds an MSc in Disaster Management from Cranfield University in England and an MPhys in Optoelectronics and Laser Engineering from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland.

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Dawit Beyene

Country Director, Uganda

Dawit was appointed Country Director for GOAL’s Uganda in February 2023.

 Dawit brings over 19 years of experience to the role, including time as GOAL Country Director in Sudan and Interim Country Director in South Sudan. Prior to joining GOAL, Dawit served as Head of Office for Mercy Corps in Darfur and Assistant Country Director – Programmes for Action Against Hunger (ACF) in Yemen. Prior to that, Dawit worked with Tufts University/ Feinstein International Centre as a consultant in various roles in Ethiopia.

 Dawit’s educational background is in Rural Development (MA) and Sociology & Social Administration (BA). Over the years, he has managed humanitarian and development programmes in complex and protracted humanitarian settings.

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Matt Knight

Country Director, Haiti

Matt Knight was appointed Country Director for GOAL in Haiti in June 2023. He has over four years’ experience at GOAL, having previously served as Emergency Systems Director, Emergency Response Logistics, and Procurement Advisor in different GOAL locations. Matt has extensive experience from his roles at Public Health England and from other roles in Field Logistics and Logistics Management in Sierra Leone. He holds a Master’s degree in Psychotherapy from the University of Sheffield and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Hull, UK.

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Phyllis Jepkorir

Country Director, South Sudan

Phyllis Jepkorir was appointed Country Director for GOAL South Sudan in January 2023. With over 15 years’ experience at GOAL prior to this appointment, Phyllis held previous roles such as Systems Director in Ethiopia, Assistant Country Director for Systems in Malawi and South Sudan, and Logistics Coordinator. Phyllis holds an MBA in Strategic Management from Texila American University in Guyana. She has extensive experience in systems implementation, procurement, logistics, and strategic planning.

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Marcelo Gonzalez

Country Director, Colombia

Marcelo Gonzalez was appointed Country Director for GOAL in Honduras in January 2023. Marcelo has over 25 years of experience in international development and humanitarian aid. Before this role, he was a Roving Technical Advisor for Disaster Risk Reduction at GOAL. He has also worked as a Humanitarian, Development, and Business Consultant, Humanitarian Programme Coordinator for Oxfam Italia in Lebanon, and Operations Manager for NGO GVC in Nicaragua. Marcelo holds a Master’s Degree in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid and is a specialist in Disaster Risk Management.

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Nathan Kennedy

Programme Director, Sudan

Nathan Kennedy joined GOAL initially in June 2016 and held positions as Cash Based Response Manager and Cash and Markets Coordinator. He was then Sudan Programme Director for four years up to Sept 2022. More recently Nathan undertook a short-term assignment as Interim Country Director with the GOAL Haiti Team but in Nov 2023, Nathan resumed his position as Programme Director for GOAL Sudan. Prior to working with GOAL, Nathan held positions with Plan International in Senegal and Niger. Nathan holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University, Boston, and a Bachelor of Arts from Carlton College, Minnesota.

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