Forum cinfo 2024 Speakers

Paolo Bernasconi is currently Director of Human Resources at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna. Previously, he held various HR positions at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and cinfo. He began his career as a delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Paolo Bernasconi will participate as a speaker in the session titled Working in Multilateral Organisations - What Does It Take?

Nancy Bourgeois is head of the International Agriculture group at the School of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Sciences (HAFL), a department of the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH). She joined BFH-HAFL in 2013 as a lecturer and researcher in international livestock systems, and since 2016 has been coordinating professional internships abroad for BSc students in International Agriculture.

Nancy Bourgeois Luethi will participate as a speaker in the session titled Teaching and Learning 21st Century Competences for International Cooperation.

Fritz Brugger is the executive director of NADEL, where he oversees the Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) and Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programmes. With a PhD in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, his research explores the developmental impact of natural resource extraction and the role of extractive companies. Prior to joining NADEL, Fritz spent eight years at Helvetas and later worked as a consultant on governance issues, including water management, agriculture, and corporate responsibility. His work, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa, included developing an index-based agricultural insurance and a mobile platform to improve market access for smallholder farmers.

Fritz Brugger will participate as a speaker in the session titled The Future of the Labour Market in International Cooperation - Quo Vadis?

Thierry Buchs is an experienced emerging market economist specialising in development finance and impact management, with over 15 years of operational experience in different institutional and cultural contexts in Switzerland, the US and Latin America. He holds a PhD in International Economics from the Geneva Graduate Institute and a Master's degree in International Relations from Tufts University. He is currently Senior Advisor for Private Sector Engagement at SDC.

Thierry Buchs will participate as a speaker in the session titled The Future of the Labour Market in International Cooperation - Quo Vadis?

David Chikovani will participate as a speaker in the session titled Working in Multilateral Organisations - What Does It Take?

Dr Caroline Clarinval, currently WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Romania, has worked for the World Health Organization in various capacities and for the ICRC, where she led major relief operations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. At the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, she was responsible for the national strategy on rare diseases and was a member-state delegate to WHO.

Caroline Clarinval will participate as a speaker in the session titled Balancing Your Private Life and Career in International Cooperation.

Maria de la Luna is currently the Deputy Director of Human Resources for UN Women, based in New York. She previously worked in human resources at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Maria de la Luna will participate as a speaker in the session titled Working in Multilateral Organisations - What Does It Take?

Jochen Ehmer, a general practitioner with additional expertise in public health, epidemiology and management, has been working for 20 years to improve access to healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa. As Head of Medicine & Public Health at the Swiss NGO SolidarMed, he works with partners to improve prevention and care. He is a strong believer in transdisciplinary partnerships.

Jochen Ehmer will participate as a speaker in the session titled The Future of the Labour Market in International Cooperation - Quo Vadis?

After working for Médecins Sans Frontières since 1999 in human resources and operational coordination positions in several countries, Franck Eloi was Director of Human Resources at the Geneva Operations Centre for seven years. Since 2017, he has been in charge of the People & Culture Department of the Terre des hommes Foundation, based in Lausanne.

Franck Eloi will participate as a speaker in the session titled Generational Differences or Broader Social Change?

Michael Emery is Director of Human Resources at the UN Migration Agency, having previously worked for UNFPA, UNDP and UN Peacekeeping. He has worked in a variety of duty stations including Liberia, ex-Yugoslavia, East Timor and the HA in New Work and Geneva.

Michael Emery will facilitate the session titled Working in Multilateral Organisations - What Does It Take?

Ifechukwude Emmanuel Ezinwa is the Director of HR Operations, Recruitment & Client Services at the African Development Bank. He is an experienced human resources professional with diverse international experience in the private sector and multilateral development institutions. Mr Ezinwa holds a Bachelor's degree in French and a Master's degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the Lagos State University.

Ifechukwude Emmanuel Ezinwa will participate as a speaker in the session titled The Adapting Role of Global North Professionals.

Dr Ndèye Fatou Faye is the Coordinator Representative of the Swiss international NGO Centre Ecologique Albert Schweitzer (CEAS) in Senegal. She holds a PhD from the University of Thiès in rural economics and access to renewable energy in agricultural value chains. She is also an agricultural engineer from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agriculture (ENSA) in Thiès. With more than 15 years of experience in NGOs, she has worked on access to energy for productive use in rural areas, climate change adaptation to improve the resilience of local communities, entrepreneurship promotion for the economic empowerment of women and youth, and gender equality. Finally, Dr Faye is an advocate for eco-citizenship and is active in community development, particularly in the area of environmental protection.

Ndèye Fatou Faye will participate as a speaker in the session titled The Adapting Role of Global North Professionals

Scott Fitzgerald is currently Head of Talent Acquisition for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing. Previously, he held a variety of HR roles with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), private sector companies and the Canadian government.

Scott Fitzgerald will participate as a speaker in the session titled How AI is Shaping your Job Hunt.

Natalie Gerlach has a BSc. In Economics of the University of Marburg in Germany and a MSc. In Environmental Management of the University of Kiel, where she presented her Thesis in the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel) in Evaluation of Ecosystem Services. Natalie has worked in different countries like Costa Rica with the German Cooperation (GIZ) and Ecuador in the Ministry of Environment in the Subsecretary of Climate Change and the National Energy Institute, as an environmental economics professional. Since establishing in Nicaragua in 2015 she has worked with several NGOs with the objective to improve the food security of the most vulnerable families in the northern dry corridor of Nicaragua. Since 2019 she joined Comundo as the country director of the Program in Food Security in Nicaragua.

Natalie Gerlach will participate as a speaker in the session titled The Adapting Role of Global North Professionals.

Mena Grossmann is a food systems enthusiast with a background in international relations and environmental sustainability. She currently works as a project manager at gebana, implementing projects with farming families in Burkina Faso and Togo. She has previously worked for the SDC, the Patagonian Ecosystems Research Centre (CIEP) in Chilean Patagonia, and for the UN agency IFAD in Rome and Brazil.

Mena Grossmann will participate as a speaker in the session titled Shape Your Own Path - Redefining Career Success.

Dr Helen Krug von Nidda is an executive coach, speaker and facilitator with a focus on leadership development, career empowerment and inclusion. Her expertise in coaching women leaders is informed by 20 years of global human resources work in the United Nations and the private sector. A certified coach and licensed career counsellor, Helen holds a doctorate in education from Columbia University.

Helen Krug will be facilitating the following conference sessions:

• Balancing Your Private Life and Career in International Cooperation
• Essential Skills and In-Demand Profiles for Humanitarian Settings
• The Adapting Role of Global North Professionals 

Dorothée Lintner is Managing Director of Bioforce, a leading humanitarian training organisation. She has a PhD in French literature and has dedicated her career to teaching and training. After teaching at the Sorbonne and other universities, she moved to training at ENGIE before joining Bioforce in 2021 to support those who help the most vulnerable.

Dorothée Lintner will participate as a speaker in the session titled Essential Skills and In-Demand Profiles for Humanitarian Settings.

Simone Mani acts as HR Head for the Swiss Humanitarian Aid. She disposes of many years of multifaceted experience in the field of HR consultancy for humanitarian and international cooperation as well as the federal administration of Switzerland.

Simone Mani will participate as a speaker in the session titled Essential Skills and In-Demand Profiles for Humanitarian Settings.

Jean-Luc Marcelin works as a Talent Acquisition and Partnership Specialist in the UNDP Office of Human Resources. He has 25 years of professional experience in cooperation and programme development, including 21 years in human resources at the UN. 

Jean-Luc Marcelin will participate as a speaker in the session titled Working in Multilateral Organisations - What Does It Take?

Adrian Marti is a consultant and coach. He runs a consultancy practice in the fields of economic and organisational development and impact finance/philanthropy. He has worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Swiss government.  As part of his consultancy mandates, he has worked with various NGOs, bilateral and multilateral organisations. He has juggled a dual career (including three children) for over thirty years, including almost 20 years abroad.

Adrian Marti will participate as a speaker in the session titled Balancing Your Private Life and Career in International Cooperation.

Namrata Mehta nurtured her passion for change-making while studying sociology and experimental media arts in India. She has spent her career around the world, helping organisations in the technology, philanthropic and government sectors design and deliver solutions in and for emerging economies. Namrata works on innovation at UN-Habitat, exploring systems approaches to climate change and youth wellbeing in cities.

Namrata Mehta will participate as a speaker in the session titled Shape Your Own Path - Redefining Career Success.

Rokhaya Ndiaye is the founder and Managing Director of Ro&Partners, a human capital management company based in Dakar whose mission is to transform Africa by developing its human potential. With more than 25 years of international experience, she has developed HR strategies in the private sector and for international institutions such as UNICEF, the World Bank and VINCI. Recognised for her ability to tailor solutions to her clients' needs, Rokhaya supports the development of working methods for sustainable performance.

Rokhaya Ndiaye will participate as a speaker in the session titled Teaching and Learning 21st Century Competences for International Cooperation, and as a guest speaker in the session titled The Future of the Labour Market in International Cooperation - Quo Vadis?

Jasmine’s focus areas are climate change and sustainable development, climate finance, disaster risk reduction and environmental migration. Jasmine has a background in Climate System Science, Political Science, and International Relations.

Before joining ETH NADEL, Jasmine worked in a Climate Change Policy role for the Environment Department in Victoria, Australia; for the UN Migration Agency in Mongolia focusing on Environmental Migration; and as Deputy Director at Foundation BASE, a UN Environment collaborating center focusing on climate finance in lower income country contexts.

Jasmine Neve will participate as a speaker in the session titled Navigating a Career in Climate Action.

For the past 2 years Arabela has been the Thematic Advisor for Climate Change, Environment and Resilience at HEKS/EPER, backstopping programmes around the globe on topics related to climate change adaptation and sustainability. Previously Arabela worked at Caritas Switzerland, both at HO and in climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction projects in Tajikistan. Before moving into international cooperation, she worked on Swiss climate policy and legislation at the Federal Department of Finance. Arabela holds a master's degree with a focus on climate and environmental economics and completed the Nadel MAS at ETH Zurich.

Arabela Philipona will participate as a speaker in the session titled Navigating a Career in Climate Action.

Corinne Sala, ethnologist, worked for 7 years in Central America supporting women's rights projects. Since 2003, she has been working for Comundo, the leading Swiss organisation for personnel development cooperation, where she has held various positions ranging from the selection and training of staff to the management of country programmes. She is now head of the International Department and part of the management team.

Corinne Sala will participate as a speaker in the session titled Teaching and Learning 21st Century Competences for International Cooperation.

Kimon Schneider is an independent consultant in the non-profit sector with expertise in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), Project Cycle Management (PCM) and Decoloniality. After completing the Master of Advanced Studies in Development Cooperation at NADEL (ETH Zurich) in 2008, he worked for several years as a country director and programme manager for various INGOs in Asia and at headquarters in Zurich. Between 2013 and 2018, Kimon was responsible for designing and implementing a global approach to digital impact measurement at Swiss Church Aid. From 2018 to 2024, Kimon was a senior lecturer at NADEL (ETH Zurich), strengthening the competencies of development practitioners and policy makers in MEL, PCM and decoloniality. Throughout his career, Kimon has provided capacity building to various audiences in different countries and at headquarters, including training mainly on MEL and PCM.

Kimon was the main coordinator at NADEL ETH of the study on Future Trends and Competencies in the International Cooperation Labour Market.

Michal Sela has worked in international university admissions for almost three decades. Having moved between seven cities on three continents, she understands the joys and challenges of international transitions. She is currently studying for an MSc in Psychology and is committed to improving student wellbeing and skills development through her roles in the Student Services and Student Wellbeing & Support teams.

Michal Sela will participate as a speaker in the session titled Teaching and Learning 21st Century Competences for International Cooperation.

With more than two decades of experience in artificial intelligence since 1998, Timm Suess leads the Baloise Group's AI Circle. Combining industrial psychology, data science and employer branding, he offers a unique interdisciplinary perspective. In his role, Timm is deeply involved in generative AI and prompt engineering, integrating human insights with cutting-edge technology.

Tim Suess will participate as a speaker in the session titled How AI is Shaping Your Job Hunt.

Nilani Sunthar is a board member of the Circle of Young Humanitarians, an organisation dedicated to bridging the gap between the humanitarian sector and younger generations. In her role, Nilani is responsible for strategically advancing the Circle's mission and overseeing human resources. She recently joined Médecins Sans Frontières as an Associate Philanthropy Advisor while completing her Masters.

Nilani Sunthar will participate as a speaker in the session titled Generational Differences or Broader Social Change?

Domenico Taverna is a senior talent attraction specialist at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., where he leads talent outreach and employer branding. With more than 14 years of experience in human resources, he oversees talent attraction for Latin America, Europe, Central Asia, and corporate areas. Previously, he worked for the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Food Programme and Procter & Gamble. He holds a Master's degree in HR and a Bachelor's degree in Business Management.

Domenico Taverna will participate as a speaker in the session titled Working in Multilateral Organisations - What Does It Take?

Oana Ungureanu is Head of the Recruitment Unit in the Division of Human Resources at UNHCR. Since 2002, she has held various positions with UNICEF, UNDP and WFP at headquarters, regional centres and country offices in South-East Asia, East Africa, Central Asia, Europe and the USA. A Romanian national, she has a background in business administration, specialising in human resources and conflict management.

Oana Ungureanu will participate as a speaker in the session titled Essential Skills and In-Demand Profiles for Humanitarian Settings.

Laura Vásquez-Rodríguez is a postdoctoral researcher at the Idiap Research Institute in Martigny, Switzerland. She also completed her PhD at the University of Manchester in the UK. Previously, she worked as a software engineer at Intel Costa Rica for 9 years. Her main research interests are in Natural Language Processing (NLP), including text simplification and multilingual skills identification in the HR domain.

Laura Vásquez-Rodríguez will participate as a speaker in the session titled How AI is Shaping Your Job Hunt.

So-Young is a UN human resources professional with experience in managing operations in New York and Iraq since 2012. She currently leads talent acquisition at UNFPA, focusing on senior leadership positions. Her background includes legal practice in Canada and legislative work in the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea.

So-Young Yang will participate as a speaker in the session titled Balancing Your Private Life and Career in International Cooperation.

Tony Zuber followed a more traditional private sector career in Switzerland, working in the energy sector and responsible for management development. At the age of 35, he decided to make a drastic career change. He began working abroad in international cooperation with INTERTEAM (now Comundo) in Colombia, strengthening a national peace-building network. After eight years, he returned to Switzerland to join the Human Resources Department of the SDC's Humanitarian Aid Division. Today, he is back in Colombia to design and implement digital trainings on the fight against climate change.

Tony Zuber will participate as a speaker in the session titled Shape Your Own Path - Redefining Career Success.