Mary Ann Clements

Writer, CEO, Coach & Facilitator living in London, UK.

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I’ve been a leader for 20 years and a coach and facilitator for almost a decade.

I model embracing transformative change with care and am committed to helping people lead change towards justice without compromising their well-being.

Currently I am Co-CEO at ADD International, working with Fredrick Ouko to transform the organisation from an INGO to a participatory grant maker for disability justice. Through our strategy we are modelling reimagining the sector as a place for healing injustice and disrupting post-colonial power dynamics as we do so. 

Our approach has involved working together to re-centre the organisation in disability justice activists’ needs, listening to their lived experience, designing participatory grant making approaches, and supporting their leadership. 

I have also led significant internal shifts in culture and practice, rethinking pay and benefits, improving internal equity and transparency, developing our Year of Working Well and creating a virtual first organisation with a diverse skillset.

I am passionate about rethinking ‘international development’ to create forms of solidarity that heal rather than perpetuate injustice and was the initiator of Healing Solidarity, a co-led project that created online events and community over five years, reaching well over 3000 professionals globally in development and philanthropy spaces to challenge existing practice. 

Beyond these projects I have supported the sector’s need for change, advocating for equitable and anti-racist practice, worked with government departments to support wellbeing, facilitated peer action learning, advised funders on power-shifting work, and coached leaders on avoiding burnout while making change happen.

I’m a recognised leader and practitioner who walks her talk, learning and sharing about making transformative change happen with care, and without perfection! I currently share about this journey from time to time via my How We Transform substack newsletter and on LinkedIn.

I regularly advise CEOs, funders, and organisations on how to make change happen. I am also a storyteller and write about change towards justice and equity and am currently working on my first novel.

Finally I am an experienced speaker and host, including former host of the Story Party and Change Making Women Podcast. I’m co-author of a Red Tents, a book about creating equitable and just women’s community spaces. I am also a white belt Nia Movement practitioner and a Shadow Work Coach. 

For coaching, consulting, writing or speaking enquiries please email me at maryann@maryannclements.com.