Bleakley, who set up the company's North American office in New York in 1995, is leaving to continue her charity work in Vietnam and adopt a second child. She announced the move on her blog (http://hanoioichoioi.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/life-changes/).

Beggars chairman Martin Mills says, "I am very happy indeed that Matt Harmon has agreed to take on the leadership of Beggars in the USA on a permanent basis and am completely confident that the successes of his stewardship over the last year will ...