ESSA Names Dr Pauline Essah as CEO Ahead of 10th Anniversary

ESSA has appointed Dr Pauline Essah as its new Chief Executive Officer, ushering in a new era for the African education charity organisation as it prepares to celebrate its 10th Anniversary in 2026. She succeeds Dr Lucy Heady, who stepped down on 31 July 2025 after six years of transformative leadership.

A respected expert in African-led research and former Chief Impact Officer at ESSA, Pauline will lead the organisation’s next phase of growth, focused on strengthening impact and championing evidence-driven solutions to improve education outcomes for young people across Africa.

“It is an honour to lead ESSA,” said Pauline. “ESSA is known for improving education by using evidence and data from Africa in research, advocacy, and programme design. We know the challenges; the focus now is on co-designing solutions with education researchers, education leaders, policymakers, funders, and employers to improve outcomes for young people.”

ESSA’s Chair, Patrick Dunne, said the Board of Trustees unanimously endorsed his recommendation to appoint Pauline, effective 1 August 2025. “She has tremendous drive, focus, and clarity. She works exceptionally well with our team and stakeholders and truly embodies our values. I am confident she will advance ESSA’s mission, ensuring that research generates actionable insights to strengthen education systems.”

Pauline joined ESSA in 2020 as Head of Research before becoming Director of Research and Programmes in 2021 and Chief Impact Officer in 2024. She previously served as Senior Manager for Global Health at the UK’s National Institute for Health Research and helped set up and manage the Cambridge-Africa Programme at the University of Cambridge for nearly a decade.

She serves on the International Scientific Advisory Board of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement, is a board member at the University of Suffolk (UK), and is a 2025 judge for the MIT Solve Global Learning Challenge. She earned her BSc in Agriculture from the University of Ghana and an MPhil and PhD in Biological Science from the University of Cambridge. In 2022, she received the Global Women in Leadership Award for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in sub-Saharan Africa.

ESSA, founded in 2016 and registered in Ghana and the UK, works to improve education outcomes in Africa by using evidence and data to inform policy, research, and programme design.

To request an interview with Dr Pauline Essah or learn more about ESSA’s work ahead of its 10th Anniversary in 2026, please contact: Izel Kipruto, Head of Communications, izel@essa-africa.org .