Key skills and expertise

Bringing over 25 years of experience, the expert is a seasoned international development practitioner specializing in global health and development programs. Key qualifications include team leadership, strategic planning, and capacity development. Career highlights include expanding an HIV portfolio by $35 million at World Learning and leading the start-up phase of the ENGAGE Project. Responsibilities have encompassed senior management, program design, and technical assistance in education, health, and social behavior change across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe, focusing on reducing inequalities and advancing health and human rights.

Project experience and donor exposure

With a background in international development cooperation, the expert has collaborated with USAID on projects such as the ENGAGE Project, which focused on girls' education in India, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This collaboration involved project implementation and technical assistance in education and social behavior change. The expert also contributed to USAID-funded studies, including assessments of contraceptive procurement mechanisms in Brazil and research on condom use practices among LGBT youth in Brazil. These projects were regional and sector-specific, encompassing health and education initiatives.

Sectors and geographic focus

Previously held roles such as senior management, technical advisor, and capacity development specialist, the expert has worked across key sectors including civil society, education, health, youth, monitoring and evaluation, training, and research. Cross-cutting expertise includes social behavior change, gender and GBV, and community engagement. The expert's work has spanned regional and country-specific initiatives in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the USA, focusing on empowering marginalized groups and advancing social and economic inclusion. Geographic experience includes work in Angola, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Peru, and Uganda, with deep familiarity with local governance and cultural dynamics.

Languages and education

With a background in diverse linguistic environments, the expert is a native speaker of Slovak and Czech, fluent in English, proficient in Portuguese, and has elementary proficiency in Spanish, French, and Russian. These language skills have been utilized in varied professional contexts, including in-country work across continents and collaboration with multilingual teams in international development projects. The expert holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, graduating magna cum laude, and a Master of Arts in International Development from the American University School of International Service in Washington, DC, USA. Additionally, the expert is pursuing a Master of Research in Social Research at University College London, UK, expected to be completed in 2026.