William Anderson

About William

William has served as Executive Director of Sphere and the Humanitarian Standards Partnership since 2023. With more than 20 years of experience in humanitarian leadership, he has directed global disaster response operations both from head office and remote locations around the world. His career has included over a decade living in Zimbabwe and Kenya, and leading field teams across Central and West Asia.

William has extensive experience in humanitarian response, including for example working in South Sudan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Haiti, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mozambique, Indonesia, Somaliland, and Iraq. His work is grounded in a commitment to justice and human dignity, with a focus on principled action in conflict-affected settings, people-centred assistance, conservation agriculture, innovation, and the protection of human rights.

He holds a Master of Theology from the University of St Andrews (Scotland) and a certification in Business Administration (Strategy) from the Open University. William speaks English and French.