Berlin – November 03, 2026 -- Save the Children Deutschland has named Caroline Schmutte chief executive effective March 1, 2027. She succeeds Florian Westphal, who joins UNICEF in New York on January 1, 2027, as Director Global Communication and Advocacy.
Supervisory board extends Tania Roach's contract through 2031
The supervisory board extended the contract of Tania Roach, executive board member for brand management, marketing and fundraising, by five years to the end of 2031. Roach has held the role since January 2024. According to the organization, additional private donations under her leadership offset part of the government funding that fell away.
Newly elected supervisory board chair Oliver Herrgesell said the organization built a broader donor base under Roach and contributed substantially to financial stability during a period of uncertain institutional funding. Roach plans to continue and further develop the private-donor fundraising and marketing strategies. Before joining Save the Children, she held senior marketing and sales roles at AkzoNobel and served on the management team of WWF Germany.
Schmutte brings more than 20 years of development and philanthropy experience
Schmutte began her career at McKinsey & Company in Germany, the United States and Africa, then worked at the World Bank. From 2013 to 2018 she headed the German office of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She then built the German office of the Wellcome Trust and led the foundation's European government relations. She was also managing director of the Berlin Global Dialogue.
Schmutte has sat on Save the Children Deutschland's supervisory board since 2018 and chaired it since 2019. She named three priorities: advancing the strategic direction, building on donor acquisition, and meeting the challenges of operating as an agile organization.
Herrgesell and Eller take over supervisory board leadership
Herrgesell was elected chair and Prof. Dr. Elke Eller deputy chair. Herrgesell has been with Save the Children since early 2010, first as an executive board member and, since 2016, on the supervisory board. He previously headed communications at WarnerMedia and Bertelsmann and co-founded the TV channels HBO Max and Premiere (Sky Deutschland).
Eller is a former HR board member and labor director of TUI Group and held HR and organization responsibility at Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge and Volkswagen Financial Services. She sits on the supervisory boards of K+S AG and Compass Group Deutschland GmbH. She has been on the Save the Children Deutschland supervisory board since 2025.
Westphal leaves after leading the organization since October 2021
Westphal has chaired the executive board since October 2021. The supervisory board credited him with raising the organization's public visibility. He said he will remain closely connected to Save the Children Deutschland in his new role. The organization stated that programs and campaigns will continue unchanged through the transitions.