Governance & Leadership
Purpose-led leadership. Responsible growth.
HLH is governed by a clarity of mission and a disciplined approach to partnerships, transparency, and accountability. Our leadership model aligns cultural stewardship with measurable outcomes so communities benefit fairly from programmes built with integrity.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Maria Aftab
Maria founded HLH with a conviction that heritage economies must remain credible, inclusive, and rooted in lived knowledge across regions connected by history and trade.
She oversees strategy, programmes, and institutional partnerships with an emphasis on ethical collaboration and long-term community benefit.
Director of Strategic Partnerships & External Affairs
Aymen Zahid
Aymen builds alliances that translate institutional intent into field-ready programmes aligning donors, specialists, and community stakeholders around shared standards.
His work strengthens HLH’s governance communications, compliance posture, and trusted collaboration networks across regions.
Our governance principles
Ethical collaboration
Partnerships prioritise transparency, consent, and accountability to communities.
Fiduciary discipline
Resources are stewarded with clear milestones, reporting, and independent oversight.
Cultural integrity
Programmes honour local authorship and protect sensitive heritage knowledge.
Measured impact
Outcomes are tracked responsibly learning is shared and programmes adapt with evidence.
A network of trusted collaborators
HLH works with advisors, practitioners, and institutions selected for rigour and respect for place. Together we uphold standards from safeguarding and ethics to field implementation so programmes remain credible over time.
