Leadership
Cultivating counter-trafficking leadership and coordination
To achieve substantial and sustained impact in countering-trafficking, institutions require adaptive and resilient leaders who can implement effective responses and navigate complex trafficking landscapes.
The Counter Trafficking in Persons Leadership Excellence in ASEAN Program (CTIP LEAP) is a pilot project which is based on the premise that effective change requires leaders with expertise beyond the technical field of counter trafficking, who are capable of driving sustainable solutions to complex challenges.
The program recognises there are limited opportunities within Southeast Asia for counter trafficking professionals to develop and hone their leadership skills.
This is a 12-month in-service leadership course designed to take participants through a transformative leadership journey, which includes in-person and virtual learnings, one-on-one coaching sessions, group problem solving related to real life scenarios, and capstone projects that leaders will undertake by country to develop a solution to a specific institutional challenge identified by the group.
Read more about the 2025 CTIP LEAP cohort
Take your leadership LEAP
The CTIP Leadership Excellence in ASEAN Program (LEAP) is a dynamic in-service leadership development journey for mid to senior level counter-trafficking leaders across ASEAN-ACT implementing countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
The program will be delivered with a blend of face-to-face and virtual events. This will include: coaching, action learning, peer mentoring, a community of practice and a capstone project to implement back into the workplace.
Systems thinking and leadership styles:
Module 1 in Bangkok, Thailand
The first module brought all 20 leaders from Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam together in Bangkok (14-16 January 2025). The introductory session focused on understanding the interconnectedness of systems that impact leaders, and how motivations, incentives and perceptions influence behaviour in workplace settings.
Authentic leadership journey: story from the Philippines
Sometimes the most impactful and authentic leaders are those working diligently behind the scenes. Desiree Sumalinog-Fantanalgo (or Des, as people call her) oversees and monitors the implementation of the 5-year National Strategic Action Plan Against Trafficking in Persons of the Philippines, but in her humble opinion she is not a typical leader.