Employee Spotlight: Anum Shafique, CEO of Trust Consultancy & Development
I am a pharmacist by training. When I began my NOHA master’s in international Humanitarian Action at Uppsala University, Sweden, I never imagined I would complete my mandatory internship from a laptop, in the middle of a global pandemic.
But when COVID-19 hit and in-person internships disappeared, I joined Trust Consultancy & Development as a Junior Officer. I completed my internship online and finished my degree on time, despite everything.
I never left.
Learning the Humanitarian Sector from the Inside
What made the difference in those early days was my supervisor, Youssef Almustafa. I had the opportunity to learn many things about the humanitarian sector from him, and his guidance continues to shape how I work today.
After my studies, I stayed at Trust and moved into an HR and Partnership Relations role, a field I had never worked in before. It was not the obvious next step, but it taught me how Trust works, how the humanitarian sector operates, and how partnerships are built. It gave me the foundation I didn’t know I needed, and it has stayed with me ever since.
Discovering My Passion for Monitoring and Evaluation
The turning point came when I started leading monitoring and evaluation (M&E) projects. Working with international NGOs, I realized: this is the work I want to do.
What I love most is the full project cycle, from the kick-off meeting with the client to the final presentation of findings. When I close a project, I feel real happiness. It is like leaving a piece of myself behind, a souvenir I carry for life.
Some of my most memorable moments were the workshops in Türkiye. They came with pressure: presenting, preparing, being “on.” But they were also rewarding, and they gave me the chance to meet the team in person. Leading projects with organizations such as Relief International, HelpAge International and Islamic Relief Sweden, among others, shaped me as a professional.
Becoming CEO of Trust Consultancy & Development
Becoming CEO was a wonderful moment. Not many people get that opportunity at a young age, and I feel truly blessed. My path took me through HR, partnerships and monitoring, and evaluation, and each stage added something I needed along the way. I am grateful to Youssef for trusting me with this responsibility.
The Support Behind My Success
None of this would have been possible without my husband. He has supported me since I started my Master’s, and honestly, without his support, I would never have had the time or the headspace to give my job what it needed. He wanted me to flourish. When I achieve something, he is the happiest person in the room.
Looking Back on My Career Path
My path has not been a straight line. A pandemic-era internship, a role in a field I had never worked in, and projects that stretched me each taught me something different. Looking back, the common thread has been a willingness to say yes before I felt fully ready, and to learn as I went.
Career Advice for Aspiring Humanitarian Professionals
If I could share one piece of advice with colleagues who want to grow, it would be this: stay open.
- Say yes to tasks you don’t fully know how to do yet.
- Ask questions.
- Move with the flow.
And trust that the work you put in honestly and consistently will find its way back to you. Your path may not look like mine, but a willingness to keep learning will take you further than you expect.
