The Secretariat team

Iain Drennan

Executive Director

Iain is an experienced, influential leader and has been the Executive Director of WeProtect Global Alliance since its launch as an independent international institution in April 2020.

Under Iain’s leadership and strategic vision, the organisation has grown from start-up to international team of twelve delivering an ambitious strategy, and membership has more than doubled to comprise more than 320 organisations. He led the delivery of WeProtect’s landmark Global Threat Assessment, the first study of its kind on the scale and nature of child sexual abuse and exploitation online, and has overseen the delivery of two Global Summits in Brussels and Abu Dhabi.

Previously, he led the UK Home Office’s international response to child sexual abuse. Under Iain’s leadership, the UK was assessed top out of 60 countries in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Out of the Shadows Index on response to child sexual abuse and ratified the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Convention against child sexual abuse. Prior to this, Iain worked in national security, foreign policy and counter terrorism roles in the UK civil service and diplomatic service.

Bally Sappal

Head of Development

Bally leads the Alliance’s development strategy, driving fundraising, partnerships and innovation programmes that advance its mission to protect children from online sexual exploitation and abuse.

With over two decades of leadership experience in the global and UK non-profit sectors, Bally is committed to social justice and creating sustainable impact through collaboration and innovation. She has secured multi-million-pound partnerships for organisations including UNICEF UK, Depaul Trust, British Red Cross and HelpAge International, supported by donors such as Sida, Irish Aid, the Power of Nutrition and the National Lottery Community Fund.

Bally has also founded and led a consultancy providing research, business development and innovation services to organisations including Hope and Homes for Children, Bond, Oxfam GB, GlaxoSmithKline, Duchenne UK and the British Council.

A Clore Social Fellow and RSA Fellow, Bally is Chair of Odanadi UK – an anti-trafficking charity based in India – and a Trustee of the homelessness charity 999 Club. She holds a degree in Psychology, a Level 7 qualification in Strategic Leadership, and has completed executive courses at Harvard Business School and London Business School.

Alison McNulty

Head of Strategy

Alison McNulty is a passionate advocate for positive social change, with over 15 years’ experience leading strategy and operations in the charity and not-for-profit sector. As Head of Strategy at WeProtect Global Alliance, she brings together governments, civil society, intergovernmental organisations, and the private sector to protect children from online sexual exploitation and abuse, turning shared vision into meaningful action.

Her career includes senior roles at Action Against Hunger, Co-op Foundation, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, and the British Red Cross, where she championed evidence-led decision-making, collaboration, and impact. With a degree in Behavioural Sciences and experience teaching psychology and nursing students at university level, Alison draws on her deep understanding of human behaviour to inspire partnerships, shape strategy, and create lasting change for communities worldwide.

Federica Dadone

Head of Members

Federica is a membership expert with fifteen years of experience in non-governmental organisations, with a specific focus on human and digital rights, community building, and antidiscrimination. Her background is in Data Journalism and International Relations. Her career started in communications, and she later moved on to project management and membership and partnership management.

Before joining WeProtect Global Alliance, she has worked for big membership organisations like Youth Business International, FARE Network, and Open Rights Group. She has been a delegate of UNITED for Intercultural Action for over a decade and a Board Member of the European Network Against Racism.

Bethany Jennings

Research Manager

Bethany has worked extensively in the areas of child protection, homelessness, sexual violence and exploitation, holistic services and participation, both as a social worker and researcher.

Before joining WeProtect Global Alliance, she worked for Children In All Policies 2030, based at UCL, advocating for children’s health and wellbeing to be centred in all policies through science, advocacy and coalition building.

Veronica Polizzi

Deputy Head of WPGA Operations

Veronica has worked in diverse industries with a special interest in financial budgeting and efficiency strategies.

Before joining WeProtect Global Alliance, Veronica was Financial Reporting Manager at a private healthcare company where she was responsible for tracking, analysing and reporting business income as well as taking the lead in creating and implementing processes to improve workflow.

Katie Burke

Policy Manager

Katie is a children’s rights researcher and policy professional who has worked on issues related to child protection for the last 6 years. Prior to joining WeProtect Global Alliance Katie worked for Coram International as a research consultant for UNICEF, the European Union and other I/NGOs in 22 countries on issues related to violence against children and gender based violence. She has also held a variety of policy and research roles in the United Kingdom and the United States. Katie is a passionate advocate for child participation, having led both the Scottish Youth Parliament and British Youth Council as Deputy Chairperson.

Katie was a Fulbright scholar at the University of Minnesota where she received her Masters in Human Rights, building on her previous Masters in International Relations from the University of St Andrews.

Poppy Reid

Strategic Communications Lead

Poppy is a communications professional with over 7 years experience in frontline charities and policy and research not-for-profits with a focus on human rights and social justice. She brings particular expertise in tackling modern slavery and human trafficking.

Before joining WeProtect Global Alliance, Poppy led on communications for Focus on Labour Exploitation. She previously led regional communications for the UK homelessness charity St Mungo’s, worked at anti-slavery charity Unseen UK and for a private sector PR agency. Poppy has also worked as a volunteer with several organisations supporting refugees and asylum seekers over the past decade. She has studied Public Policy Analysis at the London School of Economics and holds a degree in Politics and History.

Delali Mortty

Membership Manager

Delali has worked extensively in children and women’s rights issues across global programme management, strategic partnerships, and non-formal education.

Delali has collaborated with major social media companies and NGOs to embed youth voices and participation in safety by design initiatives. She also brings expertise in gender-based violence and has worked closely with survivor-led organisations. Delali is a founding Director of Player Voice, an organisation enabling young people’s views and ideas to be heard regarding their education and sporting development, with their safety always in mind.

Kate O’Hara

Members Manager

Kate has worked in the philanthropic and non-profit sectors in Ireland, the United States and the United Kingdom for more than 10 years. During this time, she has gained valuable international experience in membership management, stakeholder engagement, and event coordination.

Drawing on her experience, Kate brings a thoughtful and organised approach to her work in the Membership Team, with an interest in improving processes, strengthening communication, and building meaningful relationships with WeProtect Global Alliance members. As someone passionate about connecting people and fostering meaningful partnerships, Kate is committed to supporting members and promoting cross-sector collaboration to end the online sexual exploitation and abuse of children.