GBCC has an international team of experienced bilingual project managers with legal, political and development expertise in China.
Merethe Borge MacLeod – Executive Director
Merethe has extensive management experience in the international development sector, particularly in relation to the rule of law, legal reform and human rights in China, as well as broader regional experience across Asia and Africa. She has served as GBCC’s executive director since 2017.
Between 2009 and 2017, Merethe was based in Beijing as the China director of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, a Sweden-based institution that undertakes research, education and institutional development projects to promote respect for human rights and humanitarian law.
From 2005 to 2008, she was a programme manager for the UNDP, first in Sudan and later in China, working in the rule of law team. Prior to this, she was a project manager and then deputy director at GBCC from 2002 to 2005.
Merethe holds a bachelor’s degree with honours in Chinese Studies from the University of Oxford, and obtained a master’s degree in development studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She speaks Mandarin Chinese.
Cyril Poulopoulos – Deputy Director
Cyril is a policy and programme management professional with 20 years’ of leading organisational development experience for the UN, French Foreign ministry and several INGOs. He has held a number of leading positions in diplomacy and development in China for a total of 10 years.
He is experienced at building relations with senior Chinese officials and providing advice to policy dialogues with China, implementing programmes that aim for policy influence as well as improved conditions at grassroots level. He has strong M&E credentials, and an in-depth understanding of the challenges of measuring impact in the current Chinese context. He has broad experience designing, managing and implementing innovative ODA-funded rule of law and civil society programmes in complex environments, and understands the priorities of donors as well as stakeholders.
Most recently, as former China Country Director of Handicap International, Cyril has successfully lead the registration of a foreign organisation under the new Chinese INGO law, ensuring legal compliance and providing feedback on the implementation challenges of this law to the relevant authorities. His negotiation and partnership building experiences in China has allowed him to work effectively with Chinese Party-State institutions on stated policy advocacy objectives; one recent example is his work with civil society partners to develop policy proposals submitted to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) representatives at national and provincial level.
Cyril graduated with first class honors from the University of Sorbonne Paris IV with a master’s degree in Humanities in 1996.
Stephen Nixon – Head of Finance
Luo Dan – Senior Project Manager
Luo Dan is responsible for developing and delivering GBCC’s criminal justice reform programme and maintaining close working relationships between GBCC and legal academics, practitioners, and donors. She joined GBCC in 2015.
Prior to joining GBCC, Luo Dan held roles at several non-governmental and charitable organisations and social enterprises in China and the UK. She was a housing support worker at a homeless drop-in day centre, following which she worked in research and evaluation at Barnardo’s, the children’s charity. Before this, Luo Dan was a policy officer for Beijing’s local authority, responsible for research and drafting official reports.
Luo Dan obtained a bachelor of laws in international politics from Nankai University in Tianjin, China. She received a master’s degree in public policy and management from King’s College London. She speaks English and Mandarin Chinese.
Yifang Chen – Senior Project Manager
Grace Valks – Project Manager
Grace joined the GBCC team in 2023 as China Capabilities Project Manager. She works on the development and implementation of a variety of projects, including the Future Leaders Programme, FCDO civil service trainings, and China Capability research projects.
Grace has several years of management experience in the non-profit and non-governmental sector, most recently at the international charity, Oxfam. Earlier in her career, she worked as a research project assistant, looking into the motivations, challenges, successes and outcomes of learning Chinese.
Grace obtained a first-class honours degree in Chinese Studies from the University of Leeds. She also studied Mandarin at Shanghai Jiaotong University.
Mary May-Miller – Project Manager
Mary joined GBCC in 2024 as a Project Manager and works on the development of UK China Capabilities. She is responsible for several projects within China Capabilities, from the coordination of a variety of training courses, to supporting business development opportunities.
Prior to joining GBCC, she spent 6 years working in the education sector, most recently as an education consultant where she supported international schools and universities in China. She is especially passionate about project and partnerships management, but also has experience in events, marketing and design.
She studied Mandarin Chinese and International Relations at university, graduated with a distinction in Mandarin Chinese from East China Normal University in Shanghai, and has spent a total of 6 years living and working in China.
Katharina Qi – Project Manager
Katharina is an international relations and public affairs professional with more than 10 years of experience in government, corporate and consultancy. She joined GBCC in 2024 to support its work in criminal justice reform, political dialogue, and China Capabilities.
Prior to GBCC, Katharina worked as a government affairs consultant at APCO Worldwide in Shanghai, advising multinational companies on their China strategy and government relations. Before that, she served as a policy advisor in the Political Division of the New Zealand Embassy to China, providing reporting on political developments, administrating NGO funding allocation, and engaging with stakeholders in government and think tanks. Earlier on in her career, she worked at TEDxBeijing and Siemens in business development and account management.
Katharina obtained a double bachelor’s degree in business administration and literature from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. She speaks Mandarin and English.
Cameron Bradbury – Political Engagement Project Manager
Cameron joined GBCC in 2024 as political engagement project manager. He has extensive knowledge and direct experience of the UK’s political system, having worked in Parliament as a Parliamentary Advisor for seven years.
Before joining GBCC Cameron was employed by the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Rt Hon Theresa May MP as senior Parliamentary Researcher specialising in a number of policy areas including foreign affairs, defence, and international trade.
Prior to joining Theresa May’s office, Cameron worked for the Rt Hon Chloe Smith MP as Parliamentary Assistant, again focusing on foreign affairs related matters.
Cameron graduated from the University of East Anglia with a degree in Politics.