Leadership Team
NERMIEN RIAD
Founder and Executive Director
NERMIEN RIAD
Nermien Riad is the founder and executive director of Coptic Orphans, an award-winning international Christian development organization.
Coptic Orphans unlocks the God-given potential of the most vulnerable children in Egypt, empowering them to break the cycle of poverty and become change-makers in their communities through the power of education.
Ms. Riad founded Coptic Orphans in 1988 and worked on a voluntary basis for 12 years before becoming executive director in 2000. Under her leadership, Coptic Orphans has established a grassroots network of over 925 volunteer child advocates in Egypt and mobilized thousands of donors and supporters worldwide.
She has overseen the organization’s expansion into development programs in literacy, girls’ empowerment, microfinance for widowed mothers, and peace-building initiatives to strengthen Egyptian communities for sustainable impact. For its role in connecting Copts abroad to communities in Egypt, Coptic Orphans has been singled out as a unique model for diaspora-led development.
Today, in addition to its headquarters in the United States, Ms. Riad has transformed Coptic Orphans into a global charity with offices in Egypt, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom; that has reached over 86,000 vulnerable children in Egypt.
Under Ms. Riad’s leadership, Coptic Orphans has received numerous awards and was named a semi-finalist in the Washington Post Excellence in Nonprofit Management Award. In addition, Ms. Riad is a recipient of the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area’s Community Human Rights Award; and the Women’s Forum Excellence in Leadership Award.
Ms. Riad holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Prior to establishing Coptic Orphans, Ms. Riad worked throughout the Middle East as an engineer with the United States Foreign Service.
Rania Petro
Development & Marketing Director
Rania Petro
Rania has been deeply connected to Coptic Orphans since moving to the United States in 2009, initially serving as a dedicated volunteer. She brings a wealth of experience in advertising, branding, and communications, having worked with multinational agencies such as Memac Ogilvy & Mather and Superbrands in Egypt. She also applied her expertise to the development sector, providing capacity-building training for grassroots NGOs.
Rania holds a degree in Mass Communication with a specialization in Integrated Marketing Communication from the American University in Cairo, along with diplomas in Marketing Communication from AUC and Social Media Management from Georgetown University.
At Coptic Orphans, Rania leads the organization’s Development and Marketing efforts, strengthening donor engagement and expanding its outreach. Her leadership and strategic vision continue to enhance the organization’s impact and visibility.
In addition to her professional achievements, Rania finds great fulfillment in raising her two daughters, whom she hopes will one day contribute to Coptic Orphans’ mission.
MELAD ALFRED
Corporate Services Director
MELAD ALFRED
Melad is the Corporate Services Director at Coptic Orphans. He leads Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Operations across the organization’s global offices.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s in international business management. With over 20 years of experience, Melad focuses on building strong, scalable systems that help Coptic Orphans serve vulnerable children through education, guided by God’s call to serve.
His current work includes improving transparency with data-driven processes, expanding digital tools like responsible AI, building a values-driven culture, strengthening financial planning, and streamlining operations. These efforts help the organization grow across countries and deliver lasting results.
Before joining Coptic Orphans, Melad was part of the executive leadership team at Network International, the largest payments company in Africa and the Middle East. He led multi-country operations and major transformations in regulated markets.
Emad Graiss
Canada Director
Emad Graiss
Emad manages all Coptic Orphans operations in Canada. Prior to joining us, he was the Managing Director of Merck pharmaceuticals in Egypt, responsible for Africa Developing Markets. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and MBA from the University of Missouri, USA. An industry leader seasoned across a range of complex commercial scenarios in the worldwide life sciences sector, he is highly skilled in leading multifunctional matrix teams to navigate through complex situations and envision defining solutions to achieve corporate objectives. He is a member of numerous scientific & business communities, and is an advisory board member for local companies. He is a renowned speaker and lectures at various business schools.
Joshua Benjamin
Legal Affairs Director
Joshua Benjamin
Joshua Benjamin was born in Cairo and immigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of four. He received three degrees in only five years, one of which being a Juris Doctorate degree from the prestigious Drexel Kline School of Law. Prior to joining Coptic Orphans, he was the founder and CEO of JAB Law, a national immigration law firm based out of New Jersey. Joshua was ranked a Top 40 under 40 Lawyer in the state of New Jersey for multiple consecutive years and has been featured in the 2020-2021 edition of the Marquis Publication Who’s Who in America. He was also a certified lecturer for the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education where he taught aspects of the law to other lawyers and judges.
Joshua developed a love for non-profit work while leading the immigration department of the Philadelphia Christian Legal Clinic, and his love for Coptic Orphans began as a young child when he would read letters from the children his family sponsored.
John Ibrahim
Australia Office Director
John Ibrahim
John immigrated with his family to New Zealand and then moved to Australia in 2018 to lead the team there. John has a bachelor’s degree in power mechanical engineering and comes to Coptic Orphans with a long history of senior leadership experience at top multinational corporations. He specialized at SC&P doing process control, strategic planning, organizational restructuring and transformation management. John has always maintained extensive involvement with the Coptic Orthodox Church’s services and development. He has a special passion for working with youth and for tackling unexplored venues of Christian service.