Mary Thanikal

Mary is a monitoring, evaluation learning (MEL) practitioner with over 20 years of experience designing systems that make social impact measurable, meaningful, and actionable. With a calm yet incisive presence, she brings analytical rigor, systems thinking, and deep empathy into everything she does be it shaping regional strategies, building local capacity, or leading multi-country learning initiatives.

She thrives at the intersection of evidence and strategy, turning data into decisions and frameworks into lived practice. Having worked across a diverse range of sectors from Humanitarian response, WASH, Disaster Risk Reduction, Anti-trafficking, Women and Child Protection, Local Leadership, Institutional Capacity Strengthening, to Adolescent Protection, Health, and System Strengthening. Mary is known for making complexity navigable. Her core strengths lie in designing MEL frameworks, crafting theories of change, leading evaluations, integrating digital data systems, and coaching teams across cultures and contexts. She is especially passionate about co-creating learning agendas and strengthening locally led systems that are sustainable, adaptive, and owned.

Mary is most in her element when facilitating reflection spaces, translating field realities into strategic learning, or equipping changemakers with the tools to ask better questions. She brings a rare blend of technical depth, collaborative leadership, and a quiet resolve to strengthen systems that serve people better.

Affectionately known as Keerthana to many in the sector, she balances her professional drive with a love for long-distance cycling, occasional swimming, doodling, and volunteering with visually impaired athletes. Whether leading a multi-country evaluation or mentoring a young practitioner, Mary shows up with curiosity, clarity, and care continually working toward a world where data not only proves impact but inspires it.