STOP Partner Conference, 2020

Stopping Tobacco Organisations and Products, STOP is a global tobacco industry watchdog dedicated to rigorously exposing the tobacco industry’s efforts to derail tobacco control and hook a new generation of users. They work around the world, with a focus on low-and middle-income countries where the biggest populations are at risk for tobacco-related disease burden.

The STOP team approached me in 2020 to help deliver their annual partner conference. The initiative was in the final phases of a $20M investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies and was looking to identify focal areas for impact.  

We were tasked with helping:

• Create a shared vision for the future - identifying the challenges and priorities ahead.
• Take stock of what STOP has achieved to date, collaboratively reviewing progress and the balance of effort and impact.
• Develop a plan - identifying gaps and meaningful actions that can address these gaps for the next 1.5 years.
• Come together to understand each other better and improve how we work together.

The conference was developed and facilitated in partnership with Heather Lusardi, Coordinating Project Manager at the STOP initiative. It was during this event that I first piloted the 'fishbowl technique' in an online environment. The feedback from the clients, funders and attendees was overwhelmingly positive, and we are proud of this. We specifically wanted to model participation and teamwork within the online environment.

“David carefully managed the dynamics of a broad and disparate group in a way that brought out the best in our partnership. He fostered a sense of shared ownership and enabled us to make a step-change in our strategic planning and team-building in the most challenging of circumstances”.

Heather Lusardi, Coordinating Project Manager, STOP

"David is a wonderful facilitator to work with. He proved to be an extremely quick learner and was able to master the intricacies in the relationships among different partners within just a couple of weeks. His support leading up to and during the conference was invaluable. With his help, we were able to set clear agenda and engage in fruitful discussions. He was sharp in identifying issues in the middle of the conference and helped us expedite the discussions to achieve the set goals. This conference was one of the best virtual events I've attended, which is a reflection of David's dedication and skills as a facilitator".

Gan Quan, Director of Tobacco Control at the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease