Mrs Nicole Gooderson

Growing up in Wales, Nicole was first a Guide (aged 7) and then a Scout, which inspired a love of adventure and the outdoors, travel, teamwork and community from an early age.

She pursued an MA in Modern European Languages at university and then, following work and studies in France and Italy, finally settled in Switzerland in 2002, joining the World Scout Bureau to support the Centenary of Scouting. Six incredible years followed, working alongside the World Scouting global team of volunteers and staff, as well as with inspirational National Scout Organizations (NSOs) and the World Scout Foundation, to support the implantation of a host of centennial programmes, with a particular focus on the Gifts for Peace initiative, forerunner of the Messengers of Peace. She also happily got involved as a volunteer in local Geneva Scouting, helping with Cub Scouts and at the Resto'Scout community programme. 

The Bureau role led to a position in the International Labour Organisation’s International Programme Against Child Labour team working on communication and advocacy. Then in 2009, Nicole moved to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a union of governmental and non-governmental member organisations, to manage communications for the Union Development Group which coordinates the global membership, governance and quadrennial congresses. During this time, she also successfully combined full-time work and studies, obtaining an MBA in 2013, with a focus on business strategy, stakeholder engagement and creativity and innovation in management.

Nicole took a short break from full-time employment from 2016 to 2018 when she and her husband welcomed two sons to the family, although she continued to enjoy volunteer commitments, including managing governance and communications for Swiss Netball and holding the Vice Presidency (2014-18).

2018 saw her join the World Scout Foundation in the role of Manager, Reporting and Communications, and then, as of January 2022, taking on the roles of Deputy CEO and Director of Engagement — a fantastic opportunity to combine her passion for strategic stakeholder engagement, communications, customer-focused support, teamwork and Scouting!

Nicole is both Swiss and Welsh and speaks English, French, Italian and Spanish, plus a little German and Welsh. She continues to volunteer locally as the Co-President of l'Acceuil Midi Plainpalais, an association which provides lunches to children from two large local schools, and has been honoured with Life Membership of Swiss Netball as well as her local Geneva club, which she enjoys still getting involved with.