Leadership
Sadham Dhikran Zarjahan - CEO
Sadham Dhikran Zarjahan, CEO of the International Youth Council, is a young professional with over a decade of experience in the development sector and aims to integrate youth-led organizations, INGOs, development partners, government bodies, private institutions, celebrities, and youth through the IYC’s new strategic plan to promote inclusive and sustainable youth development. He is a qualified and trained Industrial Engineer and is known as a passionate youth advocate on a local, national, and international level for demonstrating a strong work ethic in a variety of social work settings. His enthusiasm has been immensely stimulated by the increased demand for successful public-private partnerships, leadership, relationship-building, and positive change-making. He is also the World Muslim Communities Council’s (UAE) youth representative and has gained widespread acclaim, respect, and recognition for his accomplishments made possible by his ceaseless efforts and for showing extraordinary competence.
Mr. Sadham’s journey began as a volunteer at the International Red Cross in Sri Lanka. During his 2nd year in college, he was selected from among thousands of applicants to attend the 6th World Youth Congress in Brazil to present his environment-friendly engineering project. The basis for Mr. Sadham’s involvement in the IYC was laid during this trip and the successful establishment of the IYC chapter happened thereafter in Sri Lanka by him in 2012.
After being appointed as the 1st Vice Chairperson for partnerships and resources of the Commonwealth Youth Council, which was set up by Commonwealth Heads of Government, Mr. Sadham was able to implement and hold a range of youth-led programs and conferences based on the SDGs and Commonwealth Charter for the youth in the commonwealth nations. During that time, he received the opportunity to meet Former Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III of the United Kingdom.
He was appointed to the IYC headquarters in New York as a Global Executive Committee Member to revamp the entire organization in 2015. Mr. Sadham presently serves as the CEO of IYC Headquarters, where he manages all IYC Branches located in United Nations member countries and expands international collaborations with development partners.
In 2018, Sadham joined UNIDO and worked on a project titled “EU Sri Lanka Trade Related Assistance for Enhancing Small and Medium Size Enterprise (SME) trade competitiveness in regional and EU markets.” He was in charge of providing technical and strategic assistance to develop SMEs’ ability to apply for technical standards, food safety systems, and quality systems, as well as to enhance their capabilities for packaging and labelling under EU and regional market regulations. Additionally, he led the GI implementation for the Ceylon Cinnamon industry and not to mention, he designed Sri Lanka’s first Food Traceability System using AI and blockchain technology.
He is also the CEO of the Zara Group LCC, a family venture involved in B2B Trade Support Services, Education Consultancy Services, Textiles, Women’s Sportswear, and Real Estate in the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Sri Lanka.
Mr. Sadham holds a master’s degree in international organization management (Int. MBA) from Birmingham City University and a bachelor’s degree in mechatronics engineering from the University of Wolverhampton in the UK.
Executive Director - Communications
Cathy Guo is the Executive Director of WinPlus Education and Technology, a Boston-based education services company dedicated to leveraging technologies to promote global educational equity and upholding strong academic values to empower students.
Winplus is located in Harvard Square, the centre of Harvard University, with a team of Harvard, MIT, and Yale alumni. Under Cathy’s leadership, WinPlus offers college admissions consultancy, global educational programs, and education products powered by cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and Internet-of-Things.
Before WinPlus, Cathy worked at the United Nations Women, Oxford Economics, and NBC News, as well as non-profit organizations across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. She has promoted international educational equity and humanitarian work for over a decade.
Cathy earned a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a B.A. in Economics and Communication from Rutgers University-New Brunswick. She serves on the boards of the Harvard Kennedy School New England Alumni Association and Rutgers University Douglass College.
Cathy resides in New York City with her husband Cedric and their daughter Evelyn.
Executive Director - Partnerships
Tareq Hassan currently works as the Executive Director of partnerships at the International Youth Council. He is also the founder and Head of the Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network (AYSDN) since January 2018 and the Executive Director of the National Forum for Environment and Sustainable Development. Tareq currently leads one of the leading organizations in Yemen as a representative of the International Youth Council – Yemen (IYCY). Tareq worked as country director for Qatar Charity in Yemen for two years 2021-2023. He was elected as the United Nations Environment (UNEP) Regional Facilitator for Major Groups and Stakeholders (Civil Society) for the West Asia region for three consecutive times (November 2015, September 2017 and May 2020). He was appointed as a Director of Relations and Communications of the Climate Action Network International CAN-I in Canada for the Climate Action Network in the Arab World (CANAW).
He was selected as a Youth Advisor for the Tunza Program of the United Nations Environment Program for the West Asia Region (2013-2014) He also was appointed as a regional focal point of the United Nations Major Group for Youth Working Group on Risks and Disasters, UN MGCY for the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) (March 2018 – April 2019). He was also appointed as Executive Director of Policy and Advocacy at the International Youth Council New York (February 2018 – December 2020).
He also worked as a consultant for non-governmental organizations in the Arab region, especially in the field of sustainable development policies and development projects. He was one of the reviewers for the UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6). He has professional experience in youth affairs, climate change and environment negotiations, resource mobilization, and major group and stakeholder engagement. He conducted many training sessions on sustainable development for organizations and youth in Yemen and the Arab region and participated in dozens of international conferences, workshops, and round tables in Europe, Africa, Asia, America, and Canada as an example the United Nations climate conferences, High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and other conferences. Tareq is considered the only Yemeni who Participated in the United Nations Environment Assembly in its five editions, UNEA1-5.
Tareq holds a Master of Science in Management of Sustainable Development Goals (MSDG) from LUMSA University – Italy and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Malaya – Malaysia. He has passed many professional training courses in leadership, management, organizational management, skills and research, and obtained a diploma in economic development from the American University in Cairo and a professional certificate in climate change from Oxford University. He was selected as a Global People’s Fellows Program in August 2018.
Head of International Events & Conferences
Melisa Najafee Raouf is a trailblazing young leader making waves in the international arena for her advocacy of women’s empowerment and natural beauty standards. At just 22 years old, Melisa has already achieved remarkable milestones and garnered global recognition for her inspirational work.
In 2022, while a student at King’s College London, Melisa made history by becoming the first contestant to compete makeup-free in the 94-year-old Miss England beauty pageant. Her bold stance challenging traditional beauty norms sparked the #barefacetrendmovement on social media, inspiring women worldwide to embrace their authentic selves.
Melisa’s activism soon caught the attention of major international media outlets like Al Jazeera, BBC, and CNN, providing her with a powerful platform to address the stereotypes and pressures women face regarding their appearance. Her empowering messages and fresh perspective resonated deeply.
In February 2023, the International Youth Council invited Melisa as the youngest delegate to the Abu Dhabi Summit, where she eloquently discussed the vital role of female leaders in promoting social integration, peace-building, and gender equality on the global stage.
Her credentials as an emerging voice for positive change were further cemented when she was selected as the youngest judge for the Miss Austria international beauty contest in June 2023, actively promoting values of authenticity and simplicity.
Most recently, in August 2023, Melisa participated in The Summer Camp of the Youth Diaspora of Azerbaijan, commemorating an important historical figure in the nation’s history and representing the empowered voice of modern Azerbaijani youth.
Now serving as the Head of International Events & Conferences at the prestigious International Youth Council, Melisa continues to break barriers and uplift the next generation through her innovative initiatives celebrating diversity, inclusion, and unapologetic self-love.
