Michael Alar holds a BA in Political Science from the Philippines, a Diploma in Islamic Studies and Interfaith Relations from India, an Advanced Specialist Degree in Peace and Development Studies from Spain and an MA in International Peace Studies from Japan. Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2011, he worked for the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) of the Philippine Government for almost four years as Peace Program Officer, Technical Staff to the Panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Program Manager on the UNDP's Conflict Prevention and Peace Building Programme. He was also a professional facilitator and an instructor in peace and conflict studies in a local college in Manila.

Ambassador Reza Alborzi holds a PhD from the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. An international law and private sector consultant, he was Director General of the Foundation for Dialogue among Civilisations until the end of 2009. He also worked for 25 years as a senior diplomat for Iran with extensive involvement in conflict resolution, disarmament, humanitarian negotiations and settlements of disputes. His last diplomatic designation was Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.  An international humanitarian law expert and lecturer, he is also the author of several publications in law and diplomacy.

Rohaiza Asi holds a BA in Political Science and Information and Communications Management, and an MSc in International Relations. Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2007, she was a research analyst at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. Her research focused on issues of political violence and terrorism in Southeast Asia, and included significant field research.

Sabina Avasiloae holds a Master's degree in International Studies, Political Science from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2010, she worked for the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform as well as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Vandrazel has a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communication Engineering.  Prior to joining the HD Centre, he worked for two years as a computer instructor for the Southwestern Mindanao Islamic Institute in Sulu. He was also Chairman of the United Muslim Youth in Sulu (Islamic oriented Youth group) for ten years, and served for two years as Chairman of the Federation of Muslim Student's Association in Zamboanga City.

While obtaining her degree in Political Sciences from the University of Lyon, France, Flore Brannon specialised in communications. She then gained a Master's degree in International Journalism from City University, London. After completing several internships in journalism and communications, she joined the HD Centre in 2002, to assist with its communications efforts.

After studying translation at the University of Geneva, Alexis de Siebenthal worked for the Touring Club Suisse in the road and traffic information department, and for Skyguide in communications. Prior to joining the HD Centre at the end of 2008, he worked as an assistant for the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the World Trade Organization and for the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) for 3.5 years.

 

Joëlle Dek holds a Master's degree in International Public Law from Maastricht University. Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2009, she worked for the International Center for Transitional Justice and the International Service for Human Rights in Geneva., as well as Assistant Attaché for the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands to the United Nations in New York.

Eva Elfenkämper studied law in Hamburg, Germany, and holds a M. Phil. in Peace Studies from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Throughout her studies, Eva trained in mediation, including as a visiting student to an LLM programme specialised in Alternative Dispute Resolution. Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2011, Eva worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Crisis Group, NATO, and the European Parliament in Brussels.  

Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2011, Patrick Fontana worked for two years as a freelance IT consultant and for ten years as a System Engineer for two brands of fine watchmaking linked to the Bulgari group. Patrick lived in the Caribbean, Hawaii and Peru for nearly three years. Since his return a year and a half ago, he has worked as a volunteer on humanitarian projects for the organisation "Terre des Hommes".

Suzanne Gentz holds a Master's degree in Peace & Conflict from Uppsala University, Sweden as well as an LLB in Law & European Studies from the University of Surrey, UK. Before joining the HD Centre in 2006, she worked for the Council of Europe, the Transnational Crime and Corruption Centre in Georgia and the UN Office for Project Services. In addition, she has been involved with a Georgian Human Rights NGO and has worked as a freelance journalist covering the South Caucasus region.

Angelo Gnaedinger trained as a lawyer and served as examining magistrate in the Swiss Canton of Schaffhausen before joining the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 1984 where he served as Director General from 1 July 2002 until his retirement on 30 June 2010. Mr. Gnaedinger joined the HD Centre as Regional Director for the Middle East in August 2010. He also served as Interim Executive Director of the HD Centre from 6 September 2010 to15 April 2011. 

David Gorman holds a Master's degree in Social and Economic Policy in Developing Countries and another in International Relations. Before joining the HD Centre in 2000, he work for over ten years in the humanitarian field and in conflict resolution, and has been based in the West Bank and Gaza, Liberia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Indonesia.

With a Master's degree in International Relations from Sorbonne University in Paris, Romain Grandjean has worked for several years as a political analyst within the framework of international electoral observation missions in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. He served for more than two years as a field researcher based in Egypt for the International Crisis Group, and joined the HD Centre in 2007.

Clive Harbutt is a qualified accountant and ‘Lean Six Sigma' Black Belt (a process improvement approach and qualification combining two methodologies Lean & Six Sigma). Before joining the HD Centre in 2011, he held senior Internal Audit, Accounting and Finance positions in a number of blue chip companies e.g. Pfizer, Serono, Ciba, DuPont and Ferring Pharmaceuticals. He has also worked in an independent capacity with KPMG, PwC and E&Y on the design and implementation of internal control systems and on similar internal audit & control system projects for the UNHCR, ILO and ECLT and several other smaller non-profit organisations.  He is the founder and managing partner of SICG S.A. (Swiss Investment Consulting Group) and member of the board of directors of SwissINSO, a company involved in the field of renewable energy. His is also an ambassador for the International Organizations MBA programme at the University of Geneva.

Dr David Harland holds a doctorate of philosophy from Tufts University and a Masters of Arts from Harvard University. Prior to joining the HD Centre in April 2011, he served as Director of the Europe and Latin America Division, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (2007-2010); Acting Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti (2010), in Pristina (2008); and in East Timor (1999 -2000). He also held the positions of Senior Policy Advisor with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as well as that of Political Advisor to Commander UN Protection Force and Head of Civil Affairs for the UN in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1993-1998). He has published widely on issues of conflict and international relations.

 

Priscilla Hayner is a cofounder of the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and was most recently Director of the ICTJ Geneva office and Peace and Justice Program, until 2010. She has undertaken extensive research on how justice issues are addressed in peace negotiations, and is currently expanding this work. Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2010, Ms. Hayner also served as human rights adviser for the Kenyan National Dialogue and Reconciliation, in March 2008. She was previously a consultant to the Ford Foundation and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. She holds a BA from Earlham College and a Masters degree in international affairs from Columbia University. She has written widely on official truth-seeking in political transitions, including Unspeakable Truths, published in 2001 (second edition forthcoming, 2010).

Suzy Herzfeld has a Master of Science degree in Economics from the University of Geneva and a further qualification (Brevet Fédéral) in Personnel Management. Her professional experience includes seven years in the Human Resources Department of BearingPoint, with responsibility for all aspects of human resources for a group of 60 consultants. Before joining the HD Centre in 2005, Suzy worked for Bunge, a Geneva-based trading company, as an international HR specialist with a focus on Western and Eastern Europe.

Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2009, Marc Hofstetter worked for several non profit organizations at a senior management level: the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), as Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, 2006-2009; the ECLT Foundation (Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco-growing), as Executive Director and Secretary of its Board, 2001-2005; and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in various positions, including head of delegation in Iraq and Tajikistan, 1988-1999. Marc also worked as project manager for the World Economic Forum, and as an oil trader for the Royal Dutch Shell company. A Swiss and French citizen, he holds a Masters degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston, and a Master degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Lausanne, in Switzerland.

Olivier Kambala is a human rights lawyer. He holds a post graduate degree in Law from the University of Kinshasa, with a particular focus on judiciary and international criminal law. He has specialized training in post-conflict peacebuilding. Since 2001, he has worked in the struggle against impunity in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as for the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in Central Africa. Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2010, Mr. Kambala worked as a programme associate and country-lead for the International Center for Transitional Justice focusing on the Great Lakes and Southern Africa regions. He taught transitional justice in francophone and Anglophone fora, worked as a campaigner for the UK-based Global Witness and as a Programme Officer with the Belgian NGO RCN-Justice et Démocratie. He also performed consultancy duties for various organisations including the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, Avocats sans Frontières, the Center for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation and the World Campaign for In-depth Reform of the System of International Institutions.

 

David Lambo is a former senior United Nations (UN) official. He started his professional career with the UN in 1971 working for the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa.  He served the UN in several different capacities over the next several years in Kenya, Tanzania and again in Ethiopia as well as in Geneva where he was the Director of the Africa Bureau of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) from 2002 to 2005.  Prior to joining the HD Centre, Mr Lambo worked as Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees (AI) until he retired in March 2006. 

Prior to joining the HD Centre's Mediation Support Programme in January 2008, Stine worked at the Danish Defense Academy (2007), the Danish Institute for International Studies (2003-6), and the Danish Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York (2005). Her field of experience also includes working for an NGO in Cairo (spring 2007) and the setting up of a private consultancy in Copenhagen in 2006. As such she has been working on a variety of issues, including conflict management and resolution, UN and regional peacekeeping, as well as peace building and development. Stine has an MA in Conflict Resolution from Bradford University (UK) and an MA in International Development from Roskilde University (Denmark).

Lira Low holds a BA in Political Science from Melbourne University, Australia and a Masters degree in Conflict Resolution and Mediation from Tel Aviv University, Israel. While residing in the Middle East, she studied Arabic and also became fluent in written and spoken Hebrew. Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2011, Lira worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore) in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia department.

With a legal background, Dennis McNamara has experience of practising private law, as well as several decades of humanitarian experience mainly with UNHCR and OCHA in Asia and Africa. Before joining the HD Centre in 2007, he headed the Human Rights Component of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia, and was then appointed to various Director's positions in UNHCR and OCHA. During this period, he also served as UNHCR Special Envoy to the former Yugoslavia and to Iraq, as Deputy SRSG in Kosovo, and in East Timor at UN Assistant Secretary-General level.

Mark Muller is a specialist in criminal and public international law and advises a variety of international bodies on conflict resolution, humanitarian law and post conflict justice issues. He is a senior member of Garden Court Chambers in London, as well as a member of the FCO Post Conflict Network Group and of the UK Attorney General's International Committee. He also chairs the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales. Mr. Muller is the Patron of the Zimbabwe Aid Foundation and founding Director of the Delfina Foundation and Beyond Borders, both dedicated to the promotion of international dialogue and cultural exchange between nations and people. He has appeared before UN, OSCE, EU, and Council of Europe bodies on behalf of numerous NGOs and led fact-finding and training missions to Afghanistan, Sudan, Palestine, Iraq, India, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. Mr. Muller has published extensively, including Terrorism, Proscription and the Right to Resist in the Age of Conflict (2008), Denning Law Journal.

Vesna Nikolic has a business degree from the Geneva School of Commerce, as well as a diploma in tourism from the School Lejeune. Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2008, she worked in a recruitment agency, assisting the technical department.

Caroline Nyaga has a Bachelors degree in Social Sciences, and is currently pursuing an MA in International Studies at the University of Nairobi. Prior to joining the HD Centre, Ms. Nyaga worked with the Kenya Human Rights Commission.

Beatrice Nzovu-Ouma holds an MA in Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation from the European University Centre for Peace Studies, Austria and a BA (Hons) in Sociology from Maseno University, Kenya. She was also the first recipient of the Wanjiru Kihoro Fellowship on Women, Peace and Security awarded by Femmes Africa Solidarité. Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2011, she was a Senior Programme Officer with the Peacebuilding Unit at the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) in South Africa with a specific focus on Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sudan and South Sudan. She has also interned with the UN-ECA and worked with the Peace and Development Network Trust-Kenya as a Programme Officer-Training and Capacity Building in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding.

Victoria Odhiambo holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from Strathmore University in Nairobi as well as an Advanced Diploma in Human Resource and Business management from the Association of Business  Managers and Administrators, United Kingdom. She is currently pursuing her ACCA qualification (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Before joining the HD Centre in 2011, Victoria worked as an accountant and acting Finance and Administration Manager for the African Academy of Sciences. She also served as African Representative in the ECPAT International Child and Youth Advisory Committee.

George Onyango Opiyo worked as a chain man for a private surveyor (1989-1992), as a caretaker with the DHL Courier services (1992-1998), as well as for the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute - Sub-Saharan Region (IPGRI-SSA) from 1998-2005. Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2007, he also worked as Caretaker for the Kenya Airways Director.

Katia Papagianni heads the HD Centre’s Mediation Support Programme.  Before joining the HD Centre, she worked for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UNDP. Her work has focused on political transitions following the signing of peace agreements, power-sharing in mediation efforts, and constitution-making processes. Her field experience includes work for the National Democratic Institute in Russia, the OSCE in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the UN in Iraq. She holds a doctorate in political science from Columbia University, New York, a Master's degree in Public Administration from Princeton University, and a Bachelor's degree from Brown University. She has taught on peace- and state-building at Columbia University and the Geneva Graduate Institute for International Studies.

Independent Consultant and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of Amnesty International, David Petrasek has worked extensively on human rights, humanitarian and conflict resolution issues, including for Amnesty International (1990-96), for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-98), for the International Council on Human Rights Policy (1998-02), and as Director of Policy at the HD Centre (2003-07). He has taught international human rights and humanitarian law courses in Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom, and has worked as a consultant or adviser to several NGOs and UN agencies. He also co-authored Unheard truths - human rights and poverty, forthcoming 2009, with Irene Khan.

Hien Pham holds a Swiss Federal certificate in commerce and also attended Brevet Comptable courses in Geneva. She has over ten years of experience in Accounting and Finance. Prior to joining the HD Centre in January 2008, she worked as an accountant for the Geneva Bioinformatics Company.

Senior managing director, Morgan Stanley, London, 2007-. Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Tony Blair, 1997-2007. Chief of Staff to Tony Blair, Leader of the Opposition, 1994-1997. Principal negotiator of the British Government on Northern Ireland,1997-2007. Worked as a British diplomat for sixteen years and played a central role in the negotiations with China on the return of Hong Kong, the CDE arms control negotiations in Stockholm, the CSCE human rights negotiations with the Soviet Union in Vienna, the two plus four negotiations on German unification and the G7 summits from 1989-91. Author of Great Hatred, Little Room: Making Peace in Northern Ireland, 2008.

Kieran Prendergast served for many years in the British Foreign Office, including in Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, the Netherlands, Kenya and New York. He was Private Secretary to two Foreign Secretaries and later head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office dealing with Apartheid and Namibia. He also served as UN Under-Secretary-General for Political, providing political advice to the Secretary-General on matters relating to peace and security, with responsibility for the UN's preventive diplomacy, peacemaking, and peacebuilding activities worldwide. He was also the convenor of the SG's Executive Committee on Peace and Security and engaged in peacemaking efforts in Afghanistan, Burundi, Cyprus, the DRC, East Timor, Guatemala, Iraq, the Middle East, Somalia and Sudan. He now advises the HD Centre on its mediation efforts.

Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2011, Carine Prestat worked for eight years in the telecom sector and seven years for not-for-profit organisations in Finance and HR functions. Her professional experience includes working as Finance and Administration Officer for the CARE International Secretariat in Geneva for four years. A French citizen, she holds a Masters degree in International Relations from the Graduate School in International Studies, in Geneva.

With a background in history, and a Master's degree in Conflict Studies, Meredith Preston began her career working with the Naga in Northeast India and with ethnic minorities in Burma. She then worked with various UN agencies and NGOs in Kenya, Sudan and Somalia, focusing on developing new approaches to post-conflict reconstruction, DDR and small-arms control, with a particular emphasis on gender, inclusion of women and addressing the needs of disabled soldiers. More recently, she managed the Upper Nile State office for the UN Resident Coordinator in Southern Sudan, before joining the HD Centre in 2007.

Marc Probst studied economics and international relations at the University of St Gallen, Switzerland, and at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 2004, he joined the Political Affairs Division of the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs as Project Officer in the Peace Policy Section. He was also Head of the Desk, Human Security and Business, in the Human Rights Promotion Section. He joined the HD Centre in 2008 in Singapore as project officer.

 

With twenty years experience in the private sector, working as a management consultant and project-management expert, Chris Rotas has lived in South Africa, the United States, Singapore, Indonesia, Oman, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, working on complex project- and business-development initiatives. Before his ten years as a freelance consultant, based in Geneva, he worked for PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche and an engineering contractor. He has a Bachelor's degree from the University of the Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK, and a Master's degree from the University of Texas, Austin, USA. He joined the HD Centre in 2008.

Christine Sandström holds a Masters degree in War Studies from Kings College in London and a Masters degree in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. Before joining the HD Centre in May 2010, she worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Uganda and Afghanistan, as well as Deputy Head of Operations for North America and Western Europe at ICRC headquarters in Geneva. Christine also worked as a consultant in Moscow and for the Credit Suisse bank in its Corporate Banking department.

Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2009, Mila worked for six years with Triumph International Phils. Inc as Secretary to the Head of Direct Sales and Marketing Manager, and for ten years with Rhône Poulenc (now Sanofi Aventis) as secretary to the Group Product Manager and Product Manager.

Doreen Tang holds a Bachelor's degree in computer science and mathematics, and a Diploma in computing technology from the National University of Singapore. She has almost 30 years of experience in IT. Prior to joining the HD Centre in 2011, she worked for Epson and the Singapore Refining Company. She was one of two pioneer employees in the Epson Singapore office and helped write up the company operations manual. She has also worked for the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and was part of the team that  set up the Singapore ONE nation-wide broadband access network. In addition, Ms. Tang has worked in various educational institutions such as the National University of Singapore, Simon Fraser University, United World College, the NUS High School. More recently, she has been teaching at the Nanyang Polytechnic.

Ouseph Tharakan has a Master's degree in International Relations. After being briefly associated with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in New Delhi, India, he was selected for the Young South Volunteer programme of the South Centre, an intergovernmental organisation of developing countries based in Geneva. He was then attached to the Global Governance unit of the South Centre as a Fellow, working on issues connected to the UN reform process. Before joining the HD Centre in 2007, he worked as a Programme Associate with the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of UNCTAD and the World Trade Organization.

Christopher Thornton holds a Master's degree in International Affairs from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and a Master's degree in History from the University of Edinburgh. Prior to joining the HD Centre  in 2011, Christopher worked for the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He also completed an internship with the HD Centre in 2009.

Before joining the HD Centre in 2009, Sirhan served five years in the Special Forces of the Philippine Army. He also worked as a consultant for the Regional Port Management Authority in Sulu, Philippines.

Formerly Editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review, Michael Vatikiotis has been a writer and journalist in Asia for twenty years. He has lived in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong, and speaks the Thai and Indonesian languages fluently. He is a graduate of the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, and earned a doctorate from Oxford University.  

Amb. Francesc Vendrell was the EU Special Representative for Afghanistan from 2002 and 2008. From 2000 and 2002, he was the (UN) Secretary-General's Personal Representative and Head of the Special Mission to Afghanistan.  Prior to this, Amb. Vendrell worked as Director for Asia and the Pacific in the UN Department of Political Affairs (1993 -1999), concurrently serving as the Secretary-General's Deputy Personal Representative for East Timor, Special Envoy for Cambodia and for Papua New Guinea, and Adviser on the Secretary-General's Good Offices in Burma/Myanmar. Amb. Vendrell also served as the Secretary-General's Special Envoy on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute (1992), and as his Deputy Personal Representative for the Central America Peace Process (1987-92).  He was Visiting Professor at the Woodrow Wilson School in Princeton from 2008 to 2009 and is currently Adjunct Professor at SAIS, John Hopkins University in Bologna. Amb. Vendrell has been advising the HD Centre on its mediation efforts since 2009.

Aurélie Villar has a degree in Public Relations and Tourism and a diploma from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). She has worked as a product assistant with various tour operators in Geneva, with a focus on Latin America and Asia. Before joining the HD Centre in 2005, she was in charge of sales training for a retail company in London.

Judyta Wasowska has a diploma from the Institut supérieur d'Interprétation et de Traduction in Paris. She has worked for the UNHCR Regional Office in Caracas, Venezuela, as Senior Secretary to the Regional Representative. She held a similar position in the office of the Assistant High Commissioner at the UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, and worked in UNDP as Administrative Assistant in the Emergency Response Department. She joined the HD Centre in 1999.

HD Centre Adviser and United Nations liaison in New York ; Senior Fellow at the Center on International Cooperation ( CIC ), New York University ; Member of the Board of Trustees, Conciliation Resources ; Member of the Advisory Board, Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum ; Director of Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum, Social Science Research Council, helping UN officials access expertise on countries in conflict or crisis, 2005 - 2008 ; UN Department of Political Affairs, 1995 - 2000. Ms Whitfield has published extensively on peacemaking and mediation.

In her studies of economic history and international relations, Céline Yvon's research focused on Central Asia with particular reference to nation building and the oil issue. While completing her Master's degree at the Graduate Institute for International Relations in Geneva, she joined the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs where she worked on humanitarian aid and international development with special reference to Kosovo, Tajikistan and the Great Lakes region. Before joining the HD Centre in 2004, she worked for an international consultancy company where she specialised in change-management processes. Clients included banking and insurance companies as well as public administrations.