Rouba Anka

Interim Co-CEO

she/her | Based in Canada | Joined in 2023

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Rouba’s passion for working at Asylum Access is grounded in her lived experience with forced displacement. Originally from the south of Lebanon, Rouba’s family was displaced to Beirut and she has faced war and insecurity her entire life.

Rouba is currently the Interim Co-CEO along with her colleague Lisa D’Annunzio. In addition to focusing on overall organizational strategy and the advancement of Asylum Access’ mission, Rouba oversees the global finance, operations, accounting, and audit functions at Asylum Access as their Chief Financial Officer.

With over a decade of experience, Rouba has worked with international and local organizations in the Middle East and North America, supporting refugees and other marginalized communities. After the start of the Syrian war, Rouba joined ACTED, an international organization in Lebanon dedicated to supporting newly arrived refugees. While there, Rouba served as the Finance Officer and Internal Auditor. After ACTED, Rouba worked with various local and international nonprofits, leading their finance, accounting, audit, operations, procurement, and IT functions.

Rouba holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Lebanese American University and a certification in Community Shift from the Ivey Academy at Ivey Business School (Canada). Rouba also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Saint Joseph University of Beirut.

A native Arabic speaker, Rouba is also fluent in English and French and is currently studying Spanish.

Outside work, Rouba is a former professional basketball player who has played for professional leagues and the national team in Lebanon. She traveled many times to represent her club and country in international tournaments. Since she moved to Canada, Rouba has been playing for local leagues in Toronto.