About Us: Our Team

Deborah Leaver

Regional Programme Director, E/SE Asia

Deborah is EMpower'a as Regional Programme Director, E/SE Asia. Deborah comes to EMpower with over 20 years’ experience working in Country and Regional Director Roles in the international development sector. She has worked in and had responsibility for teams in the Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East region but spent the last 15 years spent living and working in Indonesia, Vietnam and Laos PDR. Deborah has worked on programs for children and youth development, leadership, education, health and climate change. Deborah has been a member of a number of international task forces and action groups including the Global Gender Pay Gap Initiative and the Climate Change Task Force. She is particularly passionate about inclusion and partnership development.

After spending her early years in New Zealand, Deborah attended high school in Melbourne, Australia and has since completed Masters Degrees in International and Community Development, post graduate qualifications in International Human Rights Law and other organisational development and sector based courses at Harvard Business School and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She also spent time doing part of her undergraduate studies in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and maintains her Indonesian language skills.

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