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Oxfam’s What She Makes campaign demands big clothing brands pay the women who make our clothes a living wage. Photo: Fabeha Monir/Oxfam
We are Oxfam Business Advisory Service
Oxfam Business Advisory Service helps businesses to improve their impact in global supply chains by providing practical guidance and advice on human rights issues.
Our expertise
As a ‘critical friend’, we ask questions that get to the heart of complex issues, placing workers at the centre of the work we do to overcome poverty, respect human rights and empower women.
Our team of technical advisors specialising in human and labour rights and gender supports companies to take action - through practical advice, developing tools and helping with implementation - to address issues from gender inequality to achieving a living wage.
Oxfam is recognised as one of the leading NGOs working on human and labour rights in global supply chains. Oxfam’s cutting-edge, rights-based approach, based on anti-racist and feminist principles has a strong history of creating impact:
- Consistently one of the top international NGOs recognised in the GlobeScan-SustainAbility Survey on Sustainability Leaders
- Our tools have been adopted by initiatives such as the UN Global Compact
- Co-founded and provided governance to the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), Sedex, (we are also active members of both); developed and launched Cafédirect and have our own fair trade product range for Oxfam shops.
- Part of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Commission on the Future of Work
- Appointed to the first ever UN High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment
Meet the team
Clare Lissaman, Head of Oxfam Advisory Services
Clare leads the strategic direction and operations of the Oxfam Business Advisory Service, as well as providing advice to clients. She believes in the power of the private sector in helping overcome poverty. She has over 15 years consulting experience on impactful global trade.
Holly Welsh, Business Development & Relationship Manager
Holly works to build relationships with companies, understand their challenges, and create impactful solutions that meet clients’ ambitions. Holly has experience building collaborations and projects with the private sector in both NGO and agency contexts.
Jiselle Steele, Private Sector Gender Advisor
Jiselle ensures all our work takes a strong intersectional gender lens and leads on gender-focused client projects. Before joining Oxfam, Jiselle developed and ran a gender focused Social Impact Incubator programme in Brazil, and led consultancy projects in Brazil, India, Sri Lanka and the UK.
Laura Raven, Operations Manager
Laura works to ensure the smooth and effective running of the team, managing our finances, legal processes and project management systems, to ensure our work is delivered on time and budget for clients. Laura has over 10 years of project management experience within the sector.
Monica Romis, Private Sector Human Rights Advisor
Monica leads our work in the field of business and human rights and offers practical guidance and support to companies, addressing a diverse range of human rights issues while ensuring active involvement of rightsholders. Monica’s expertise stems from her previous role in Oxfam’s Behind the Barcodes campaign, as well as her work with the Inter-American Development Bank, where she provided guidance to businesses across Latin America.
Nahian Hasnin, Private Sector Advisor
Nahian supports our clients to strengthen their human rights practices by providing data-driven and practical solutions. She has previous consultancy experience in Bangladesh where she worked with development and private-sector clients on socially impactful projects.
Our network of experts
Oxfam…
We draw on the expertise of Oxfam colleagues around the world in gender justice, climate justice, human rights and impact evaluation. We leverage Oxfam’s footprint to provide local context and networks when working on issues in global supply chains.
… and beyond
In addition, we have a pool of trusted and experienced associates that we bring in to provide specific expertise.
If you’re interested in collaborating with us and think your expertise would be a good fit, get in touch on advisory@oxfam.org.uk.
Our governance
Oxfam Business Advisory Service is a wholly owned trading subsidiary of Oxfam GB, and as such has its own board of directors. Any profits generated are donated to Oxfam.
Our board
- Helen Wright, Chief Financial Officer, Oxfam GB - Chair
- Peter Haden, CEO, Fletchers Group
- Penny Fowler, Head of Corporate Climate Campaigns, ShareAction
- Dave Hillyard, CEO, Carbon Technology Research Foundation