Laura Jones.

Not all classrooms have four walls

About.

What makes me

Laura is a global health leader, educator, and social justice advocate working to advance health equity, crisis response, and organisational resilience in complex and high-risk environments. With a background in emergency medicine, infectious diseases, and disaster response, she brings over a decade of experience leading and contributing to large-scale public health and humanitarian interventions.

Laura has worked with the UN, WHO, FCDO, and international NGO’s to design and deliver health and humanitarian programmes, while operating directly on the frontlines across South Asia (Nepal, Bangladesh), East Africa (Uganda), Central and Southern Africa (Malawi, Tanzania, South Africa), and Central and South America (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Ecuador), most recently leading medical evacuation operations and trauma stabilisation in Gaza.

As Global Head of Health and Wellbeing at Save the Children International, Laura provides strategic leadership and risk oversight across global operations, with a particular focus on emergency preparedness, frontline resilience, and embedding wellbeing into organisational systems and leadership practice.

A tireless adventurer, climber, sailor, and diver, Laura mentors the next generation of global health leaders and changemakers. She uses exploration as a practical tool to build resilience, demonstrating the link between adaptive leadership, wellbeing, and high performance in extreme environments.

In 2023, Laura founded Almas Libres, an NGO redefining leadership for women worldwide through sport, culture, and technology. In 2025, it was recognised as one of the largest women-led non-profits in Spain

Work.

What I can offer

The Adventurer

The Humanitarian

The Connector

Gallery.

Behind the scenes

Nicaragua

Tanzania

Malawi

Nepal

Ecuadorean Amazon Rainforest

Bangladesh

Feedback.

What people say about me

Laura and I have collaborated together on health and wellbeing projects since we both joined Save the Children International in March 2020. Highly qualified, dedicated and capable, Laura has the clarity of mind to create a vision of the framework SCI needed to establish in order to effectively support our staff, wherever they are located (which is often on the front line in conflict or disaster scenarios). I really enjoy working with Laura; her passion and energy are put to good use navigating the complex world of SCI, and she has done a fantastic job in pulling together the various disparate elements of staff health and wellbeing that were already in existence, and augmenting that with a cohesive strategy, leadership and a network of focal points to support delivery. While very easy to engage with (and often very funny), Laura confidently offers alternative perspectives, either challenging the status quo or providing well-grounded insights to help shape policy initiatives. On a personal level, I find Laura compassionate and empathetic; I recently went through a challenging period, following a bereavement in my close family, and Laura regularly checked in with me to see how I was feeling, or maybe just for a WhatsApp chat on a Friday night, when she must have had more exciting options available. She was really supportive, and I will always appreciate her kindness.

Neil Hunt Global Insurance Director, Save the Children International

Laura is one of those people who has her own light and has the power to make those around her find their own light. Tireless, non-conformist, I still don't understand where she gets so much energy with the few hours she sleeps. Always ready to be at the forefront of those issues that deserve to change, dedicating her time and passion to open doors, to meet challenges, and most importantly, to make possible what at first may seem impossible. She has an energetic vision that allows her to offer a different prism, an ability to see through another perspective but always keeping in mind the focus and the path to follow. Laura is a lighthouse. In all this journey, she also has the innate ability to guide the team along the way, knowing how to give space to each one through their own learning, delegating responsibilities but always with her hand close to go together towards the goal. Show her a barrier and she will break it down. Laura is the mix between a person who develops a professional profile with many years of experience on her back, but always supported by an impressive and close human character that you want to surround yourself with. Wherever Laura has been, you will undoubtedly be able to see her mark.

Miriam Guma Ambassador, Almas Libres

I have known Laura in both a professional and personal capacity now for many years. Throughout this time, I have found Laura to be a remarkable and inspiring individual who I highly admire. Laura is extremely motivated, driven and determined with an exceptional eye for detail. She works to a high standard and tries her best in all endeavours. She is open-minded, organised, takes initiative and works calmly under pressure. I have worked with Laura in a range of environments and know that she is exceptionally hard working and highly dependable; team work is key in all her work and this is reflected in her set up of community initiatives to enhance to lives of others around her and encouragement of others to flourish. She always strives to see the best in others and is sensitive to peoples individual needs and differences. I commend Laura for placing well-being at the heart of all she does and her natural ability to be respectfully supportive of peoples physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. A quality I admire in Laura is her strength of character. She has overcome many challenges yet she is never defeated: she personifies female empowerment! Laura has a true sense of adventure, reflected in her personal and professional life. Her work has taken her all over the world working in a diverse range of environments. Yet despite all Laura’s achievements and being a strong female leader, she is a gentle soul who is at her happiest when she is embracing the great outdoors. It is a true privilege to call Laura a colleague and a friend and I am excited by see what future opportunities she creates and embraces!

Karen O'Neill Humanitarian | Advanced Nurse Practitioner | Lecturer

Laura is a great teacher. With all the experience she has gained over the years in the humanitarian field, she was able to provide insight and explain in detail the strengths and weaknesses of the humanitarian system, as well as the risks and opportunities of working in humanitarian aid. It was an honour to be taught by her. I cannot recommend her enough as a teacher.

Noemi Welsch Student, MSC World Extreme Medicine | Doctor

I worked with Laura closely during and post the COVID-19 pandemic when her role was to coordinate the strategic response to COVID-19 and safeguard frontline staff across the organisation. Laura was always so committed to delivering all that was needed promptly, never hesitating to provide support and seeking perfection in what she does, professional, detail-oriented with a high technical background. It was a pleasure working with her.

Tamar Shdaifat Regional Head of HR, Save the Children International

Laura has been course lead for the Humanitarian Medicine Course for World Extreme Medicine (WEM). Laura oversees the running of the residential course, making sure that the lectures and workshops are delivered to a high standard and then gives lectures herself. Her lecturing style is very good, making the learning a conversation between all students and her. It is always a pleasure working under Laura as she likes to maintain a feeling of a flat hierarchy and she values every member of the team.