Aid Worker
Hamish has served on the front lines of some of the world's worst natural disasters; working with humanitarian organisations tackling South-Asia's Tsunami, Myanmar's cyclone and Pakistan's earthquake. He has been awarded the Queen's Ebola Medal for his work on Sierra Leone's 2014 Ebola Crisis.
Conflict Adviser
His work has taken him to the war zones of Darfur, Congo, South Sudan, Somalia and beyond, working with the British Government and military organisations such as the US Marine Corps and NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. In 2010 he received the ISAF Civilian Campaign Medal for his work in Afghanistan. He is currently working with the UK and US governments to help tackle violent extremism in East Africa.
Founder & Entrepreneur
In 2006, he co-founded Impact International's Relief and Development Group to help organisations deliver international aid more effectively.
He co-founded Wasafiri in 2010, as a Consultancy, Incubator and Institute helping incubate and scale new ideas, approaches and partnerships for leaders tackling some of the world’s toughest problems:
Conflict and extremism, food insecurity and extreme poverty, and climate change.
Wanderer & Adventurer
Inspired by distant peaks and wild places, Hamish can often be found climbing or motorbiking (occasionally hiking, bicycling or sailing) off the beaten track. His adventures are usually accompanied by close friends and often sprinkled with a healthy dose of naiveté. His most recent expedition saw he and a good mate complete a very dusty 10,000km journey from Kenya to Cape Town on a pair of very battered motorcycles.
Occasional Writer & Blogger
Read about Hamish’s insights and experiences with Wasafiri, scaling new approaches to problems such as violent extremism in Kenya, stabilisation in Somalia and food insecurity in Uganda here.
Read Hamish’s contribution to the stories from civilians working on the front lines of Britain’s Afghan War in the book Making Peace In War. (Deployed as Stabilisation Advisers, they were given the almost impossible task of promoting peace while the bullets were still flying. Living and working in appalling conditions these ‘Stabads’ combined the skills of diplomats, humanitarians, peacemakers, mediators, and development workers.)
"Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what Britain's Afghan War felt like. Full of powerful description, deep empathy with the Afghan people and plenty of humour…" Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, Former UK Ambassador to Afghanistan
