PRESS RELEASE
For immediate distribution
Contact: Amanda Padilla, Acting Director, Strategic Engagement, Namati amandapadilla@namati.org
Namati announces a leadership transition that will see Laura Goodwin assume the role of Chief Operating Officer, partnering with Namati CEO Vivek Maru, and succeeding Indira Sarma, effective today. Laura will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Having joined Namati in 2014, Indira guided the organization as COO through more than a decade of transformative growth and evolution. “Indira is in Namati’s DNA,” said Vivek. “The truth is, she wrote our DNA. Namati will carry forward the values she exemplifies: commitment to excellence, strategic discipline, and profound love for our team and the communities we serve.”
Laura steps into the COO role with unparalleled institutional knowledge and experience. Since joining Namati in 2012 and co-authoring a legal empowerment evidence review with Vivek, she has gone on to hold a range of leadership roles across the organization, walking alongside communities in pursuit of justice while cultivating operational mastery across domains from finance to human resources. In 2013, she opened and led Namati’s Myanmar office, launching the land rights program there. At the same time, she established Namati’s citizenship rights program in partnership with organizations in Bangladesh and Kenya, serving as Director and then co-Director of the Citizenship program through 2025.
In 2016, Laura relocated to Nairobi to open and lead Namati’s Kenya office as Head of Office, guiding the organization’s second global hub through a period of significant growth. She has also served for many years on Namati’s Senior Trust, the organization’s senior leadership team.
“In nearly 25 years working with international rights-based organizations, Laura is one of the top people I’ve ever encountered,” says Indira. “She has seen Namati from more angles than anyone. Her strategic vision, operational excellence, humility, and deep commitment to both legal empowerment and to Namati’s core values make her the ideal person to lead our organization into the future. I could not be more excited for Namati’s next chapter with Vivek and Laura at the helm.”
Laura earned her Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at the Fletcher School, where her studies focused on human rights law and human security. She holds a BA from American University’s School of International Service.
To add capacity to the executive team during this pivotal moment of growth and transition, Namati is establishing a Chief of Staff role to partner with the COO and CEO. This position will be filled by Deyla Bradley, another long-tenured team member who brings a decade of experience spanning operational and programmatic roles.
A comprehensive transition plan has been underway for several months, with the new team members beginning their roles today. Indira will continue to support Namati in an advisory role through May 2026.