Meet the team

  • Cecilia Cannon

    FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR

    Dr. Cecilia Cannon has 20 years’ experience in policy and academic research, teaching, and policy communications. She is a Senior Research Associate at the Graduate Institute’s Global Governance Centre (where was Head of Research between 2011-2018). She served as Academic Adviser to the United Nations for its 75th anniversary and has worked as a consultant for other international organisations (IOs) since 2013. She serves on the Board of the Academic Council on the United Nations System. She directed the Graduate Institute’s Executive Master in International Negotiation and Policy-making from 2019-2021. Her research focuses on the design, reform and effectiveness of IOs; the role of non-state actors in global governance; and migration policy. She has created several digital tools to facilitate research uptake in policy circles. Previously, she worked in marketing/ communications, including in Geneva where she managed IO and NGO clients. She obtained a PhD in International Relations/Political Science at the Geneva Graduate Institute.

  • Erica Moret

    FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, POLICY ANALYSIS

    Dr. Erica Moret is a Senior Researcher at the Graduate Institute’s Global Governance Centre and Centre for Humanitarian Studies, and is co-founder and coordinator of the Geneva International Sanctions Network. She is Associate Editor of the Journal of Global Security Studies and serves as Visiting Professor at Sciences-Po’s Paris School of International Affairs. She holds a PhD from the University of Oxford and is a graduate of France’ Ecole Nationale d’ Administration. She is a widely published author in academic publications, has led policy research, high-level multi-stakeholder dialogues and executive training on sanctions, humanitarian impacts, remittances and financial sector de-risking for the European Union, Swiss Government, United Nations (OHCHR, UNICEF, UN-ESCWA, Office of the Special Envoy on Syria, OCHA and UN Secretariat) and international NGOs. She also provides policy advice and evidence on sanctions to the US Biden Administration, the Government of Canada and both UK Houses of Parliament.

  • Naledi Hollbruegge

    STRATEGIST, DATA VIZ & DATA PROJECTS

    Ms. Naledi Hollbruegge works as an analyst and data visualisation specialist at UN Development Programme. She is a social researcher, experienced in the application of research methods and psychology principles in real-world settings. She is passionate about solving social problems with analytics, using data visualisation as a communication tool and increasing impact by helping organisations become more evidence-driven. Ms. Hollbrügge has extensive experience working with IOs, NGOs, governments, think tanks and scholars, as a data analyst, data viz. specialist, and trainer.

  • Jamilah Bahay

    STAKEHOLDER & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIST; POLICY ANALYST

    Ms. Jamilah Bahay is a Stakeholder and Community/Business Engagement specialist with experience across a range of public and private organizations. She is a practised relationship management, partnerships, and business development professional who has successfully served economic development organizations (EDOs), NGOs, and private sector actors. Ms. Bahay is a policy advocate for sustainable development and served as Canada’s 2021 Youth Delegate to the G20. She represented all Canadians-under-30 in the policy track, “Sustainability, Climate Change, and Energy” where she led the first-ever Working Group on Sustainable Finance. There she co-created the Youth Green Bond. She is also an experienced consultant for ESG and sustainable finance strategy. Jamilah is a commissioned public speaker on the role of young people and sustainable development and has spoken at events hosted by the G20, UN, and the St. Gallen Symposium. In 2022 Jamilah was named a St. Gallen Symposium Leader of Tomorrow. Jamilah holds a Master of International Affairs from the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID).

  • Sandra Uwantege Hart

    STRATEGIST, INCLUSIVE INNOVATION & HUMANITARIAN ACTION

    Sandra Uwantege Hart is a humanitarian specialist and consultant with 15 years experience managing humanitarian programs with UN agencies and INGOs in over a dozen countries globally, implementing projects in cash and voucher assistance, financial inclusion, food security, and livelihoods recovery. She now works as a technical expert, advisor and researcher for local and international organizations and social impact-focused companies exploring inclusive innovation. Currently, most of her work consists of being an interlocutor between the humanitarian and technology sectors - conceptualizing, designing and managing community-inclusive, context-adapted Web3 (blockchain) and digital payment systems. In 2020, Sandra co-founded the startup Umoja Labs (formerly Emerging Impact) and is the award winning creator of Oxfam International's Unblocked Cash Project (2018-2021). Her work has been featured in academic publications, international conferences & speaking engagements, and media publications. Sandra is a dual national of Rwanda and the U.S. and holds an Anthropology degree (BA) from Princeton University, and a Master's degree in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute (IHEID).

  • Kristina Kunova-Petrova

    Kristina Kunova-Petrova

    ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCE MANAGER

    Ms. Kristina Kunova-Petrova has 20 years experience in Administration and Management at National and International level. Flexible and solution-oriented, she has expertise in Finances and Human Resources, as well as in creating and implementing strategies, processes, and procedures to enable the financial success, sustainability, and future growth of the organisation. She has also shown her efficacity in coordinating a variety of projects that consistently achieved target goals. Kristina has worked as a Center Manager of the Global Health Centre (GHC), a research centre of the Graduate Institute in Geneva, since its creation in 2008 and previously had a career as a Project Officer at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, managing different projects in the sphere of the Education and Training Programs for teachers involving Ministries of Education and teachers from 45 European Countries members of the Council of Europe. She has also worked as a technical consultant for the creation and implementation of the Universal Human Rights Index, a project of the University of Bern in partnership with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

  • Lucie Stevens

    WRITER, EDITOR AND PUBLISHING CONSULTANT

    Lucie Stevens is a writer and editor with over 20 years’ experience working both in-house and as a freelancer. She specialises in delivering complex editorial projects for government agencies, NGOs and educational institutions. During her time at Australian independent publishing house Longueville Media, Lucie worked on projects for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, and think tank the Lowy Institute. While living in Berlin, Lucie worked with publisher The Curved House to develop and produce a series of education outreach programs for the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency. Prior to moving to Berlin, Lucie was the Program Manager and Policy Officer for the Australian Society of Authors. She holds a BA Communications and a Graduate Certificate in Editing and Publishing, both from the University of Technology, Sydney, and an MA in Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Board members and advisors

Advisory and Governing Board Members serve the association in a pro-bono capacity.

  • Juneyoung Lee

    GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER

    Highly skilled, multi-lingual, trade law and policy expert with 16 years of experience advising ministerial officials on politically complex international and regional trade issues at the World Trade Organization. Combining academic background, diplomacy and in-depth trade policy knowledge for work in fragile and conflict-affected countries. Currently, serving on the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment, which aims to enhance the dialogue between trade and sustainability. Passionate about nurturing the next generation of global trade policy makers, through lecturing at European and Asian institutes on practical experiences as a WTO trade practitioner.

  • Cécile Molinier

    GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER

    Cécile Molinier joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1992 from the UN Secretariat. She worked for 15 years in the field as Deputy in Tunisia then as Resident Coordinator in Sao Tome and Principe, Togo, and Mauritania. She was reassigned as Director to the UNDP Office in Geneva in August 2007, where she instrumental in promoting the UN reform agenda and developing innovative partnerships with sub-national authorities, the academic community, civil society organizations and the private sector. Since her retirement from the UN in 2012, she has been active as a lecturer on multilateral affairs and development issues, and as a member of the Board of several associations focused on sustainable development.

  • James Bell

    GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER

    Dr. Bell is an experienced non-profit executive, who leads Pew Research Center’s international programs and directs the institution’s overall partnership strategy. Dr. Bell helps design research and communication strategies that translate rigorous data and analysis into stories that open minds, change behavior and improve solutions to the most pressing challenges facing the globe. He is expert in quantitative and qualitative methods and has guided both social and computational science projects. Prior to joining the Pew Research Center, Bell worked at the US State Department for nearly a decade, most recently as director of international opinion research. Bell earned his doctorate in geography from the University of Washington in Seattle. He is widely published, has appeared on television and radio, and presented at major events hosted by the United Nations, World Economic Forum, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Paris Peace Forum, Circulo de Economia, and Berlin Policy Forum, among others.

  • Jacqueline Coté

    ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

    Bringing together experience as an international attorney, with expertise in advocacy, external relations and partnerships, Ms. Coté continued her engagement in International Geneva by contributing to multi-stakeholder relationships and conflict resolution. She believes that the global agenda is best tackled by linking the public, private and non-profit sectors, and that dialogue and empathy are essential to achieve the sustainable development goals. Ms. Jacqueline Coté is also the current President of Caux – Initiatives of Change.

  • Corinne Momal-Vanian

    ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

    Ms. Corinne Momal-Vanian is the Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation. Previously, she worked in various senior positions and a variety of countries for the United Nations, most recently as Director of Conference Management at the United Nations Office at Geneva (2015-2020) and Director of Information (2010-2015). Ms. Momal-Vanian served as Special Assistant to Kofi Annan in 2005 and 2006, traveling with him to some 20 countries as he worked to resolve crises, defuse tensions, highlight the plight of communities and individuals suffering from discrimination and abuses, build international cooperation and strengthen support for development and justice. She worked for a total of six years in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, after serving in two regional economic and social commissions of the United Nations. Passionate about justice, gender equality, inclusion, innovation and learning, Ms. Momal-Vanian chaired the Steering Group of the International Gender Champions from 2016 to 2019 and was a co-organiser of the three editions of TEDxPlaceDesNations. A French citizen, she holds a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Graduate School of Management, Paris and an advanced degree in international relations from the Institut Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po) - Paris. She recently completed an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

  • Nathanael-Tilahun

    ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

    Dr Nathanael Tilahun is an Assistant Professor of Law at Coventry University, United Kingdom. Prior to joining Coventry, he worked as Assistant Professor of Public International Law at Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He is an international law scholar with expertise in sanctions, peace and security, countering terrorism financing, and financial crime. He is a Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS) and Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS). He provides advisory and consultancy services to governments, international organizations (e.g. the European Union) and non-profit organizations on international legal aspects of economic sanctions, and the rule of law in countering terrorism. He widely publishes, teaches and frequently speaks to media on the use (and abuse) of sanctions for safeguarding human rights and democracy, African approaches to sanctions, recovery of misappropriated assets from developing states, global governance institutions in the area of financial crime and security. He is the author of a monograph titled “Regulatory Counter-Terrorism: A Critical Appraisal of Proactive Global Governance” (New York/London: Routledge, 2018). He has held visiting faculty and researcher positions at law schools of Queen Mary University of London, University of Cambridge, and University of California Berkeley. He obtained PhD in public international law from Erasmus University Rotterdam.

  • Marie McAuliffe

    ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

    Marie McAuliffe is the head of the Migration Research & Publications Division at IOM headquarters in Geneva and Editor of IOM’s flagship World Migration Report. She is an international migration specialist with 25 years of experience in migration as a practitioner, program manager, senior government official and researcher. Marie has researched, published and edited widely in academic and policy spheres on migration. She is on the editorial boards of journals International Migration, Migration Studies and Migration and Development, is an Associate Editor of the Harvard Data Science Review, and is a regular contributor to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Agenda blog series. Marie is a Senior Associate at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), senior fellow at the Global Migration Centre at the Graduate Institute in Geneva and a Sir Roland Wilson Fellow at the School of Demography at the Australian National University. She co-chairs the World Bank’s KNOMAD thematic working group on migration data and demography, is a member of MIT’s Global Technology Review Panel, IUSSP’s panel on international migration and curates the WEF's Migration Transformation Map. She has been regularly called upon to advise Ministers, senior officials and CEOs on migration and displacement, including former UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, in his capacity as Chair of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.

  • Bart M.J. Szewczyk

    ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

    Bart M.J. Szewczyk (SHEF-chick) is a nonresident senior fellow with the German Marshall Fund in Brussels focusing on international order, transatlantic relations, NATO, the European Union, Ukraine, Russia, and the United Nations. He also teaches grand strategy at Sciences Po in Paris. Dr. Szewczyk recently worked as advisor on global affairs at the European Commission's think tank, where he covered a wide range of foreign policy issues. Between 2014 and 2017, he served as member of Secretary John Kerry’s policy planning staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he worked on Europe, Eurasia, and global economic affairs. From 2016 to 2017, he concurrently served as senior policy advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, where he worked on refugee policy. He joined the U.S. government from teaching at Columbia Law School, as one of two academics selected nationwide for the Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship. He holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University where he studied as a Gates Scholar, a J.D. from Yale Law School, an M.P.A. from Princeton University, and a B.S. in economics (summa cum laude) from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is widely published.

  • Sona Bari

    ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

    Sona Bari is an external relations leader specializing in global public health and partnerships. At the World Health Organization since 2004, she is a strategic communicator and advocate, with expertise in reputation management with media and donors. She has built and managed teams for communications, fundraising, political advocacy and engagement across partners that vary widely in terms of technical expertise, geography, and culture. Ms Bari started her career in journalism covering humanitarian disasters and human rights. Wishing to move from reporting a situation to preventing or resolving it, she worked for a series of non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations in human rights, including Grassroots International and the International Labour Organization. She now specialises in external relations for public health, advocating for transparent, science-based communications that empower policy makers and the public.