Our Leadership

Waseem Dibbini, CFO & Acting CEO

We are absolutely delighted to announce that Waseem Dibbini has been permanently appointed as our new CEO.

Waseem began his journey with the Nazareth Trust in 2011 as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), putting all his knowledge in Economics and Accounting into practice. In 2014, he was awarded the Oren Steinberg grant for Young & Excellent CFO’s.

In 2017 he was promoted to Deputy CEO, progressing to CEO in December 2024.

His contributions have been instrumental in driving our organisation forward, and his commitment inspires many.

Waseem holds a strong background in Economics, Accounting and Business Administration, having earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Tel Aviv University. He continued his studies at the prestigious Harvard University.

Additionally, Waseem is an active member of several prestigious forums, including Inbar network for healthcare management, the Israeli Leadership Forum, and Israeli Economic Leaders.

With his extensive experience and commitment to excellence, we are confident that Waseem will lead our organisation to new heights.

Here are some words from Waseem:

‘The Nazareth Trust is a really inspiring Christian organisation, and its legacy is deeply imbedded within the Nazareth area community in a predominantly non-Christian area. All the services that the Trust provides are a great platform to improve the lives of the people who live in Jesus’s hometown and its surroundings. I feel privileged to be able to see my faith in action at work. Mathew 5:16 is my daily inspiration: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

‘I thank God for guiding me and providing me with patience, inner peace and energy to deal with the constant challenges that face us and have faced us. One of the quotes from the Bible that remains with us in these circumstances is: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”' (Philippians 4:6-7)

With Waseem at the helm, we anticipate a bright future for the Nazareth Trust. His leadership, faith, and dedication inspire us to strengthen and grow our mission with enthusiasm and purpose. Together, we look forward to expanding our services and fulfilling our vision to serve the Nazareth community and beyond.

We move forward with confidence and hope, trusting that God will guide us through every step of this journey under Waseem’s leadership.

Marta Bahous, Nursing Director

Marta is a Registered Nurse and has a B.A. and M.A. in Nursing, both through the University of Haifa. She has extensive experience working both as a Registered Nurse and as a Teaching Assistant and Lecturer in the Department of Nursing at the University of Haifa. Marta joined the Nazareth Hospital as Nursing Director in 2020.

Dr Salam Hadid, Director of School of Nursing

Dr Hadid has a Master's degree in Nursing Administration from Tel Aviv University and did her PhD through the University of Haifa, focusing on factors that influence the success of nursing students. Throughout her career, she has balanced clinical work alongside academic. Dr Hadid started out as an Emergency Department nurse before specialising in clinical pain management. Her desire to develop future generations of nurses led her to teaching posts at Safed Nursing School and later Safed Academic College, where she went on to become Head of Nursing before joining the Nazareth Academic School of Nursing.

Prof Fahed Hakim, Nazareth Hospital Director

Prof Hakim is the Director of the Nazareth Hospital EMMS. He is a Clinical Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at Bar Ilan University. He also serves as a Senior Physician in Paediatrics and the Paediatric Pulmonary Institute at the Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa. He is a worldwide known researcher who has excelled during his career by receiving numerous honours and awards. Prof Hakim is a respected lecturer worldwide and has participated in dozens of international conferences. He has also been invited to give lectures by different scientific societies across the world.

Maha Sayegh, Director of Nazareth Village

Maha is a local Nazarene and is the Director and Founder of Nazareth Village. Having served the Nazareth Trust in various positions for over two decades, her vast experience and specialised business and administrative training allow Maha to navigate the operational challenges she faces that come with managing a project of this size and influence. Her work at Nazareth Village not only touches the local community, but reaches out to the global Christian family.

Majdoleen Nawatha, SERVE Coordinator

Majdoleen was appointed as SERVE Coordinator in September 2022. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education – English Major, and a certificate in fitness training and communication in sports organisation. She is a Holy Land local who admires living in the Homeland of Jesus. A believer who's willing to help others serve and walk the path of the Saviour. Majdoleen is responsible for looking after our volunteers and making sure they make the most of their time in Nazareth, always with a smile on her face.

Frank Kantor, Spiritual Director

As Spiritual Director of the Nazareth Trust, Frank focuses on strengthening the emotional and spiritual well-being of the staff, patients, students and volunteers of the Nazareth Trust. He has an MA in Christian Ethics from Heythrop College, University of London, and served as General Secretary of the Free Churches Group based in London. Frank was born and raised in South Africa, where he held various positions related to conflict resolution, peace-building, healing, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Geoffrey Spence, Chairman

Geoffrey has extensive experience in private sector infrastructure finance and has held a number of senior positions at investment banks. He has eight years of experience in government and has previously led a number of UK healthcare projects, including the re-development of the Dartford & Gravesham hospital and the Royal Edinburgh Infirmary. After five years as CEO of Infrastructure UK, Geoffrey spent two years as Global Head of Infrastructure, Resources & Energy at Lloyds Bank. He is a Commissioner in the Thames Estuary Commission and serves as a member of the Advisory Boards for both the Association of Consulting Engineers and the Christian Medical Fellowship in the UK. Geoffrey was appointed Chairman at the Nazareth Trust in 2022.

Prof Jason Leitch CBE, Vice Chair

Prof Leitch is a Quality Improvement Fellow and former National Clinical Director of Healthcare Quality and Strategy for the Scottish Government. He is part of the senior team responsible for the NHS in Scotland and was UK Clinician of the Year in 2011. Prof Leitch has a Doctorate from the University of Glasgow, an MPH from Harvard and is a Fellow of the three UK surgical Royal Colleges. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston and an Honorary Professor at the University of Dundee, as well as a trustee to the Indian Rural Evangelical Fellowship.

Murray McNicol, Trustee Finance Officer

Murray is a Chartered Accountant with experience both within and outwith professional practice. Early in his career, while working at KPMG, he was seconded to the Southern General Hospital as Financial Controller. He subsequently established an accounting practice and then, following its sale, served as Finance Director of a business process outsourcing group before co-founding Spoonfed, a software business serving the workplace catering market. Following its acquisition in 2021 by 365 Retail Markets LLC, he continues to lead the operational and financial aspects of the business. He currently serves as an elder at Mearns Free Church in Newton Mearns and is on the SU Scotland Finance Committee. Murray joined the Nazareth Trust as Trustee Finance Officer in 2022.

Prof Dame Judith Hill

Having specialised in palliative care throughout her nursing career, Prof Dame Hill served as Chief Nursing Officer at the Department of Health and Social Services in Northern Ireland from 1995 until 2005. Afterwards, she was appointed CEO of the Northern Ireland Hospice and worked in that capacity for nine years. Prof Dame Hill is an active supporter of the grief recovery programme, GriefShare, where she is a facilitator. She is also a trustee to Big House Ireland and a mentor for the CS Lewis Institute Belfast discipleship programme. Prof Dame Hill is a member of the Royal College of Nursing and was appointed as trustee to the Nazareth Trust in 2016.

Rev Azar Ajaj

Rev Azar is a local Nazarene who has been ministering to his Arab Israeli community for over 25 years. He has served as pastor of the Local Baptist Church in Nazareth and has also been executive for the United Bible Society and General Secretary of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students in Israel. Azar is currently working on his PhD, researching Baptist church history in Israel. He is also the Principal at Nazareth Evangelical College where he lectures regularly.

Naomi Beer

Naomi Beer is a GP who has served an inner London population for more than 30 years as a partner in a large practice and as a local LMC member. Alongside her clinical work, she has various additional roles which all involve investment in and encouragement of the local NHS workforce through teaching, mentoring, appraising and facilitating. She also founded and is a former trustee for a mental health charity.

Mary Macleod

Mary graduated in law at the University of Edinburgh and trained in Inverness before working as a solicitor in Edinburgh. Since 2016 she has been the Solicitor of the Church of Scotland. A key part of her role involves providing legal advice and support for the Church's Social Care Council, one of Scotland's largest third-sector social care providers. Mary is also a Trustee of an Edinburgh-based charity providing support for people with health problems resulting in financial hardship.

Stephen Nash

Stephen was a Consultant in Emergency Medicine in the UK and over the last 20 years has travelled extensively in Arab and Turkic nations as a catalyst for church planting. He previously served as a medical missionary in the Nazareth Hospital for almost a decade and leads global missions activities as a trustee of iNet and Executive Team Leader of the Global Church Planting Network. Stephen is also the Director of HOPE 4 the World, a humanitarian project focused on nations with limited access to healthcare and education. He joined the Nazareth Trust as a trustee in 2016.

Prof Kate Gerrish CBE

Kate is an Emeritus Professor of Nursing at the University of Sheffield. Her early career involved hospital and community nursing in the UK and Zambia. Subsequently, Kate moved into nurse education and then into research. For many years she held a joint appointment as Professor of Nursing between the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, leading nursing research. More recently, she has been active as a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing and Chair of the General Nursing Council Trust for England and Wales. Kate serves as a Trustee of PRIME (Partnerships in International Medical Education), a UK-based charity with international reach. She joined the Nazareth Trust as a trustee in 2022.

Dave Pye

Dave is the founder of the recruitment management consulting firm, Jump Advisory Group. Having enjoyed a successful career in the recruitment industry, he regularly speaks at events and contributes to blogs about talent and recruitment challenges. Dave is also trustee to a teenage mentoring charity based in Chelmsford and non-executive Director of a number of growing businesses in the talent and technology sector. He is a member of the Skylark Church, Chelmsford.

Elias Haddad MD FACC

Elias is a physician with a specialty in Interventional Cardiology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Coronary Angiography and Intervention. Elias is also involved in medical education serving as an Assistant Professor with the University of Tennessee College of Medicine (Nashville, USA campus) as well as Associate Program Director for the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship at Ascension St. Thomas Hospital. Elias is well respected within his field and has participated as a lecturer and panel expert in many national conferences. He is also the Co-Founder and active member of the Tennessee Healthcare Coalition, a grassroots physician organization. In addition to his clinical work, he is involved in pharmaceutical research and development and is a co-founder of Eicosa Therapeutic, Inc, which is based on patents he co-owns with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. With his Nazarean family ancestry, Elias takes great pride in being able to serve the people of the Nazareth community through the Nazareth Trust. Prior to his appointment with The Nazareth Trust, he served on the Nazareth Project, Inc. board for 7 years. Elias and his wife have three young children.