Key skills and expertise

Bringing over 22 years of experience in the humanitarian and development sectors, the expert is adept in strategic planning, project cycle management, and emergency response. Responsibilities have included leading large teams and managing substantial budgets, such as a 150M USD fund for the Syrian Cross Border Humanitarian Fund. Previously held roles such as a country director involved overseeing programs that supported 120,000 children annually. Expertise includes coordination with UN bodies, NGOs, and donors, with a focus on education, child protection, and humanitarian finance. Leadership roles have encompassed strategic oversight and operational management in complex international contexts.

Project experience and donor exposure

Background includes collaboration with international donors such as the EU, ECHO, UN, AICS, BMZ, and UNRWA, emphasizing project implementation, strategic programming, and fundraising. The expert has worked across diverse projects involving education, child protection, and humanitarian response, coordinating regional and national initiatives in the Middle East and South Asia. Career highlights include managing a 26M€ EU-funded consortium for Syrian crisis-affected children and overseeing a 45M$ budget in Lebanon for Terre des Hommes Italia ONLUS. The expert's work also encompasses capacity building and emergency response coordination in Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and India.

Sectors and geographic focus

With a background in sectors such as civil society and NGOs, education, monitoring and evaluation, human rights, grants and grant schemes, and advocacy, the expert has held leadership roles like Deputy Pool Fund Manager and Country Director. Their cross-cutting expertise includes project cycle management, strategic planning, and emergency response. The geographic scope of work spans regional and country-specific initiatives in the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe, with a focus on education, child protection, and humanitarian finance. The expert has extensive geographic experience in countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, India, Sri Lanka, Italy, Turkey, Tunisia, Libya, and Israel, possessing deep familiarity with regional development issues, humanitarian response, and local governance.

Languages and education

With a background in languages, the expert is a native Italian speaker and proficient in English, achieving a C2 level in speaking, writing, and comprehension. They possess basic proficiency in French and Arabic, acquired through an 87-hour intensive course. These language skills have been utilized in managing multilingual teams and coordinating international projects across various countries, including the Middle East and South Asia. The expert holds a Master's degree in Content Management from the University of Camerino, Italy, where they studied business English, socioeconomic research methodology, and web marketing. Additionally, they earned a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy with honors from the University of Macerata, Italy, focusing on ethics, economics, and political philosophy. The expert also pursued studies in electronic engineering at the University of Politecnica delle Marche, Italy, covering management studies, political economics, and control system theory.