Key skills and expertise.

Bringing over 39 years of experience, the expert is a seasoned international development manager with specialization in disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and infrastructure projects. Key qualifications include leadership, project development, and planning skills. Responsibilities have included managing multi-cultural teams and leading initiatives such as the construction of 5,500 classrooms in Pakistan and disaster recovery projects in Haiti. Recognized for proven leadership and cultural awareness, the expert has successfully coordinated local and international initiatives, delivering quantifiable results and maintaining high-level stakeholder partnerships.

Project experience and donor exposure.

With a background in collaborating with international donors such as the World Bank and UNDP, the expert has been involved in various capacities including project implementation, technical assistance, and capacity building. The thematic areas involved include disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and infrastructure development. Career highlights include managing large-scale projects like the School Construction and Rehabilitation Project in Pakistan and providing technical guidance in Turkey and Haiti. Geographic locations for donor-related work include Pakistan, Turkey, Sint Maarten, and Haiti, with projects being regional and national in scope, focusing on infrastructure and disaster management.

Sectors and geographic focus.

Worked across diverse projects involving key sectors such as food security, humanitarian aid, logistics, program and resource management, disaster reduction, and agriculture. Previously held roles such as project manager, team leader, and technical adviser, with responsibilities including managing large-scale infrastructure projects and providing technical guidance for disaster risk reduction. The expert possesses cross-cutting expertise in climate change adaptation and capacity building, with a geographic scope that spans regional and country-specific projects across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Extensive geographic experience includes long-term assignments in countries such as Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Turkey, and work in regions including Bangladesh, China, Eswatini, Georgia, Haiti, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Malawi, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, the Netherlands, Sint Maarten, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This background has provided deep familiarity with local governance, cultural dynamics, and regional development issues.

Languages and education.

With a background in multiple languages, the expert is a native Dutch speaker and is fluent in English and German. Additionally, there is working knowledge of French and basic knowledge of Bahasa Indonesia and Vietnamese. These language skills have been utilized in various international contexts, including managing multilingual teams and working in diverse countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam. The expert holds an Executive MBA with Distinction in General and Strategic Management from Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands. Additionally, an MSc in Tropical Land and Water Use Management and Rural Development was earned from Wageningen University, also in the Netherlands. The fields of study include business administration, irrigation engineering, natural resources management, and rural development.