Our team
Mervyn Thomas CMG, Founder President
Our Founder President needs little introduction. Mervyn founded CSW over 40 years ago and has been engaging parliamentarians, government ministers and church leaders ever since.
Scot Bower, CEO
Scot has been a part of CSW for over eight years, and moved into his appointment as CEO in 2020. He is passionate about building on CSW’s 40-year legacy; listening to and being guided by our teams on the ground; and continuing to be a powerful ally for all who face injustice because of their religion or belief.
Anna Lee Stangl, Head of Advocacy
Anna Lee, based in Washington, DC, is the joint Head of Advocacy and leads the Latin America Team. She has been with CSW for 25 years, directed our EU liaison office in Brussels for the first 11 of those, and developed training materials on FoRB documentation and advocacy, now adapted for use around the world.
Jane Bave, Head of People and Culture
Jane is Head of People and Culture and leads the HR function at CSW. She joined CSW in 2001, Jane qualified as a CIPD professional in 2012. Jane is also a qualified mediator at work. She is passionate about people, their development, welfare and mental health.
Kiri Kankhwende, Press and Public Affairs Team Leader
Kiri leads the Public Affairs team which engages stakeholders in the media, UK, European Union and at the UN. She is a journalist, political analyst and public speaker whose work has been featured in international news outlets.
Anne Tester, Finance Director
Anne qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1998. After working in various commercial companies, in 2008 she found her natural place in the charitable sector where she has remained. Anne had 15 years’ experience in leading charity finance teams before joining CSW in the summer of 2023.
Dr Khataza Gondwe, Head of Advocacy
Khataza is a leading freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) advocate with over 20 years of expertise working on FoRB. She is currently a member of the Africa Advisory Council of the African Vision Working Group of the International Religious Freedom or Belief (IRFBA), and the IRFBA Council of Experts.
Audrey Skervin, Head of Fundraising
Audrey leads the Fundraising team, which inspires individuals and funders to make donations to help bring about a world free from religious persecution. She has been working with charities for 15 years and is passionate about using her skills to enable people to lead free and full lives.
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#12 CSW manifesto
We believe in empowering and equipping partners and communities to create lasting solutions.
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#2 CSW manifesto
We believe no one should suffer discrimination, harassment or persecution because of their beliefs