Margaret Akullo

Margaret Akullo is a Ugandan-born British criminologist, mentor, and global changemaker with over 30 years of experience strengthening criminal justice systems and developing leaders across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. At Global Empowerment Direct (GED), Margaret contributes to initiatives that create space for leadership, mentorship, cross-cultural learning, and reflection across diverse environments. She leads with empathy and inspires change through people-centred leadership.

Margaret is the creator and Director of the Mindset-to-Output Mentorship Programme, an initiative supporting emerging leaders aged 21–32 as they navigate early leadership, responsibility, and professional transition. The programme focuses on clarifying goals, strengthening confidence, and building the discipline required to translate ideas into high-quality, completed work. Through one-to-one mentorship, structured dialogue, and shared mutual learning across generations and professional contexts, Margaret supports mentees to think critically, reflect honestly, and develop a strong inner foundation for leadership.

As a Ugandan woman in the diaspora, Margaret brings a grounded, globally aware, and culturally conscious perspective to mentorship. She is also the writer behind the Leadership Reflections series, drawing on African heritage, lived experience, and cross-cultural learning to explore leadership, integrity, and growth.

Previously, Margaret’s career spanned criminal intelligence work with UK law enforcement at the London Metropolitan Police Service and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command, leadership roles within a UK-based children’s NGO, and a distinguished tenure with the United Nations. Across more than 20 countries, she designed and delivered programmes addressing human trafficking, migrant smuggling, child protection, and criminal justice reform, while advancing gender equality, racial equity, and inclusive leadership. Her work bridged policy, practice, and people-centred leadership, translating insight into action through high-impact initiatives, training, and outcome-focused reporting.

Building on this experience, Margaret now applies her expertise at GED, ensuring that her mentorship programme, thought leadership, and reflective practice translate the platform’s values into real-world outcomes, tangible learning, and measurable impact.