International Women's Day Interviewees

Rosemary MacDonald - Director of Partnerships at Investors in Community, NED and Trustee

Rosemary is a former CEO of a community foundation and prior to that joined UK Community Foundations in 2020 two weeks before the pandemic hit which was a considerable learning curve. UKCF has 47 community foundation members in the UK and three overseas members and represents members at a national level, provide a range of services and training, as well as building profile and supporting national donors.

She joined the community foundation movement in 2008 as CEO of Wiltshire Community Foundation, which was her first role in the voluntary sector and it provided her with meaning and purpose to work on behalf of the people and charities in Wiltshire. She did that role for 12 years, building philanthropy, grant making and convening to try and make a difference to some of the long standing issues in our county.

Prior to being in the voluntary sector, she worked in the legal sector in Marketing and Operations roles. The most important success factor when you are not a lawyer is your ability to deliver results through soft power and influence. You also need considerable attention to detail and the ability to differentiate your firm from others in the professional services field.

Outside of work, she enjoys being a trustee of a number of charities in Wiltshire which has kept her grounded and she loves spending time with her very international family and friends.

Marsha Powell - Co-Founder and CEO of BelEve

Marsha is a visionary leader dedicated to empowering young women. Inspired by personal loss, Marsha founded BelEve in 2012 to foster self-belief, resilience, and leadership skills in young women. Her career in finance and wellness prepared her to build a strong foundation for the organisation, which has impacted over 20,000 young women aged 8-22. Marsha’s work is driven by her commitment to mentorship, offering continuous support to the next generation of female leaders. Her story of resilience and passion honours her mother’s memory and fuels BelEve’s mission to make a lasting difference.

Claudia Jaksch - CEO at Policy Connect

Claudia is the Chief Executive of cross-party think tank Policy Connect. Claudia joined Policy Connect’s sustainability team in 2014 and took on its leadership in 2016. She is a seasoned policy expert with longstanding experience in stakeholder engagement, policy analysis, policy development and achieving policy impact in the UK and at an international level. Claudia became Policy Connect’s Chief Operating Officer in July 2016, leading on strategy development and implementation, impact and performance management, human resource management, financial monitoring and reporting, governance and compliance. Since August 2022 Claudia is the organisation’s Chief Executive.

Claudia holds an MBA from Warwick Business School, a Masters degree in International Political Economy from King’s College London and a Bachelor’s degree in European Studies from the University of Passau, Germany.

Claudia is also a board member of the charity Carbon Copy and supports the organisation’s work on public engagement and local action to tackle the climate crisis as a trustee.

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