Sarah Eldon

Sarah Eldon joined Operation Smile in 2025 as vice president, global strategic partnerships, leading the organization’s corporate and foundation partnerships globally. She is responsible for building high-value, long-term partnerships that advance Operation Smile’s mission of expanding access to safe surgery and strengthening healthcare systems worldwide.

With more than 22 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Eldon has worked across international fundraising, strategic partnerships and organizational leadership, with extensive experience developing transformational corporate partnerships that go far beyond traditional funding models. Her work has focused on building partnerships that align corporate capabilities, social impact and long-term systems change.

Passionate about global healthcare equity, Eldon is particularly driven by Operation Smile’s commitment to addressing one of the most overlooked areas in global health: access to safe surgery and comprehensive surgical care. She is a strong advocate for partnership approaches that strengthen local healthcare systems, workforce capacity and long-term sustainability.

Over the course of her career, Eldon has lived and worked internationally, including in Zambia where she led a pediatric HIV and AIDS organization, and across the Middle East and North Africa region supporting programmes for unaccompanied children and vulnerable young people. Her experience spans multiple regions, cultures and complex humanitarian and development contexts.

Originally from the United Kingdom and holding both British and Irish citizenship, Eldon is based in London.