Meet the Board of Trustees

Mokhtar Asmi

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Mokhtar Asmi is an award-winning Canadian entrepreneur and finance expert with a passion for community empowerment. He holds an MBA and is the founder of a rapidly growing organic food company dedicated to quality and sustainability. Mokhtar currently serves as Chairman of the Board at Human Appeal Canada and has previously served as Vice Chairman of Human Concern International, where he drove critical global relief and development efforts. He combines business acumen with a strong commitment to humanitarian values, striving for impactful and compassionate change.

Professor Kamil Omoteso

Member of the Board of Trustees

Professor Kamil Omoteso was appointed chair of the board of trustees in 2017. He is a professor of Accounting and Governance, as well as the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the College of Business, Law, and Social Sciences at the University of Derby. He also served as the founding chair of the Educational Support Initiative for Africa (ESIfA), which has donated over 75,000 books and academic journals to universities across the continent.

An experienced educator, Professor Omoteso has held positions at De Montfort and Coventry universities. In 2015, he received the Outstanding Author Contribution Award at the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence.

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Professor Omoteso has dedicated his career to educating and counseling others in understanding accountancy. He joined Human Appeal’s Board of Trustees to give back to vulnerable communities.

Owais Khan

Board Member & Interim CEO

Owais Khan is an accomplished humanitarian leader with over nineteen years of transformative experience within the global development sector, where he has inspired teams, mobilized resources, and forged enduring connections between partners, donors, and those facing adversity. His appointment marks a profound step toward strengthening Canada’s commitment to humanitarian values, innovation, and inclusive growth.

With a career shaped by meaningful impact and cross-sector collaboration, Owais Khan’s journey began in the heart of international humanitarian work. For over a decade, he has devoted himself to bridging the gap between generous donors and vulnerable populations worldwide, orchestrating relief efforts in response to urgent and ongoing crises.

Before joining Human Appeal UK in 2014, Owais played a pivotal role in the MENA region’s charitable landscape, where he streamlined the English and Arabic websites and revolutionized the online donation process for a leading non-profit. His innovative approach generated $4.5 million in donations in the first month alone and set new standards for engaging digital content and donor engagement. He went on to establish a global communications steering group at another major humanitarian organization and led the marketing strategy for their global Ramadan campaign, amplifying the reach and impact of their mission.

As Interim CEO of Canada, Owais leads with empathy, transparency, and community engagement. He advances humanitarian partnerships, training, technology access, and environmental sustainability for an inclusive and innovative Canada, improving the quality of life for vulnerable communities. His Human Appeal initiative established the Amina Centre in Lahore, Pakistan, to help street children and those from low-income families through education, vocational training, psychosocial support, and healthcare.