Hiba Farid

CEO, Leaders of Change Consultancy

Hiba is from Sudan.

Hiba Farid is a senior public policy and development leader with over 25 years of experience in designing national strategies, institutional reforms, and evidence-based policy solutions across fragile and emerging contexts. Her work bridges research and practice, with a strong focus on inclusive development, governance, and economic transformation.

Throughout her career, Hiba has led extensive capacity-building and mentorship initiatives for public officials, civil society leaders, youth, and women across government, NGOs, and the private sector. She has designed and supervised executive training programmes in public policy analysis, strategic management, women empowerment, and theory of change, equipping practitioners with practical tools to influence and implement policy reform. She also pioneered Policy Labs that enabled NGOs to act as non-official policymakers, strengthening their role in evidence-based advocacy and national dialogue.

Hiba has advised central banks, government ministries, and international organisations including UNDP, UNIDO, ILO, the World Bank, DFID, and UNFPA. She led major national research initiatives, including Sudan’s first national education assessment and a microfinance market survey commissioned by the Central Bank, and served as National Consultant in revising Sudan’s National Women’s Empowerment Policy.

She is the Founder and CEO of Leaders of Change Consultancy and Co-Founder of the Center for Development and Public Policy (CDPP), a think-and-do tank dedicated to strengthening evidence uptake in policymaking. She also directed flagship youth empowerment and mentorship programmes, including Understanding Development and Public Policy and Public Policy: Pathway for Development, supporting emerging leaders to become effective change agents.

Hiba holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Malaya and is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of policy leaders.