About the executive director

Peter Laugharn joined the Bernard van Leer Foundation as Director of Programme Development and Management in 1999 and has been its executive director since March 2002.

Prior to joining the foundation, Dr Laugharn worked for eleven years for Save The Children USA, initially as desk officer for Africa and the Middle East. During five years in Mali, as deputy then director of the field office, he helped to develop the successful "Village Schools" model, with an emphasis on promoting basic education, girls’ schooling and community participation.

He moved on to become West Africa area director then education adviser for Africa, providing technical assistance and guidance for Save The Children's education programmes in Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique and Rwanda.

A graduate of Stanford and Georgetown Universities, he holds a Ph.D. in education from the University of London. He is a member of the Governing Council of the European Foundation Centre and chair of its International Committee, and chair of the European HIV/AIDS Funders Group.