Welcome, I am Irene

Leading inclusive development across countries and sectors

I strengthen systems in enterprise and economic development, women’s and youth economic empowerment, and public health nutrition—helping organisations deliver clear, inclusive and evidence-led results across regions. My work combines multicountry delivery, strategy, MEL, and values-driven leadership to build systems that serve people better.

Explore my portfolio

Snapshot of My Work

15+ years leading enterprise & economic development, WEE/YEE integration, and public-health nutrition across multiple regions.

Global programme and portfolio leadership: strengthening governance, MEL, partner alignment, and delivery systems that travel across countries.

Executive-level experience in consortium management, cross-functional team leadership, and institutional strategy.

Founder of Olime Health, advancing behaviour-change communication and public-health innovation reaching 150,000+ people.

Led 23 technical assistance interventions and contributed to all 60 British Council knowledge outputs within the ICR Facility’s 250-initiative, 79-country Knowledge Hub.

Designed and scaled youth entrepreneurship and scholarship pathways across 10+ countries, improving opportunity, resilience, and long-term systems capacity.

Trusted advisor on digital inclusion, gender equity, youth development, and organisational leadership.

Recognised for thought leadership through publications, speaking engagements, training, and cross-sector advocacy.

Practice anchored in faith-informed leadership — integrating purpose, clarity and service in all spaces I serve.

About Me

I am a cross-sector development leader with 15+ years of experience delivering enterprise and economic development, women and youth integration, and public-health nutrition across multiple regions globally. I have led multicountry programmes, strengthened governance and MEL systems, shaped global strategies, and supported policy and institutional reforms that expand opportunity — especially for women and young people. My leadership brings together evidence, inclusion and purpose, helping organisations translate strategy into results across diverse contexts.

Testimonials

Hear what others say about how my work has helped and enhanced their experiences

Roseline Obadiuno

Project Manager

I am grateful for Irene's mentorship. What makes her stand out is her ability to provide unwavering support during challenging times. She listens with empathy and asks insightful questions that bring clarity and always suggest practical solutions that make a real difference.

Diane E. Kaye

Lawyer

Working with Irene was a defining moment in my career. To find a good leader is one thing, but to find a good leader, teacher, and mentor in one person is a gift. Irene always pushed me and always reminded me what and who I could be and so will always give you tasks above you to show you what you’re capable of and to give you the confidence to chase higher goals. The lessons I learnt from her, I am still applying in my daily work. One of my favourite things I learnt from her “Before you go to your boss about a problem, already have one or two solutions prepared”. It makes you proactive and valuable to your leader and the team. She was resilient, able to work under pressure without breaking a sweat. I learnt a great deal by just watching her work. She left an indelible print on me both personally and professionally, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have had my first official working opportunity with a leader such as Irene.

Michael Etrue

Program Associate

Working with Irene since 2019 has been a defining part of my career. One of her essential traits as a manager is her ability to combine rigour with empathy. She works with team members to discover their goals, strengths, and weaknesses and trusts her team members with responsibilities that build strengths, polishes up weaknesses, and leads towards career goals. She always leads by example and in front. I felt protected by her enough to give me room to make my own mistakes but also not coddled enough that I don’t learn from the mistakes. She creates the room for two-way feedback and is able to take fair criticism without resentment. She is a generous mentor, willing to recommend you to other opportunities and offer her time and experience to your projects. She honestly expects and demands nothing but the best from her mentees. She has supported my growth every step of my career, and she is quite simply the last but one voice I listen to before I make big career moves. The last is God.