Our people

Agnes Binagwaho is the Vice Chancellor and co-founder of the University of Global Health Equity, an initiative of Partners in Health. Binagwaho previously worked in various high-level government positions, serving first as the Executive Secretary of Rwanda’s National AIDS Control Commission, then as Permanent Secretary, and lastly as the Minister of Health for five years. Binagwaho serves as Senior Advisor to the Director General of the WHO, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Adjunct Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, and Professor of Pediatrics at UGHE.

Gunilla Carlsson is a Swedish politician with extensive experience in developing the global health agenda. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Strategy Committee of the Global Fund, a Member of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), as well as a Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP). Carlsson was previously the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and a Member of the European Parliament. Carlsson was also the Chair of the Swedish-initiated Commission on Climate Change and Development, and worked as Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS.

Marion Guillou is a French scientist specialised in global food security. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the French Agricultural, Veterinary and Forestry Institute. She also has a variety of national and international responsibilities, especially in relation to food security, climate, research and skills training. Guillou is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and member of the French High Council on Climate (HCC), among others.

Bernard Gustin is a Belgian travel and transportation expert with a keen eye for development of the Africa-Europe partnership. As the former Chief Executive Officer of Brussels Airlines, he was responsible for the airline’s partnership with Lufthansa Group and its entrance into the global Star Alliance airline partnership. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he was a key figure in the initial launch of the SN Brussels Airlines in 2001 and worked on its successful merger with Virgin Express. Gustin has also served as Chairman of the Association of European Airlines and a board member of Medicins Sans Frontieres.

Paula Ingabire is a Rwandan politician and tech enthusiast. Prior to her appointment, she served as Head of the ICT Business Development Department at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and coordinator of the Kigali Innovation City Project. Ingabire coordinated the creation of SMART Africa, a broadband infrastructure initiative for African socio-economic growth. She was named among the Top 20 most influential people in digital government by Apolitical. Ingabire serves on the Global Council of the World Summit Award Board of Directors, WEF Cyber Security Board and Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Global Network Advisory Board.

Gunilla Carlsson is a Swedish politician with extensive experience in developing the global health agenda. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Strategy Committee of the Global Fund, a Member of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), as well as a Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP). Carlsson was previously the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and a Member of the European Parliament. Carlsson was also the Chair of the Swedish-initiated Commission on Climate Change and Development, and worked as Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS.

Ibrahim Abubakar is a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at University College London and director of its Institute for Global Health, focusing on the epidemiology, prevention and treatment of infections including tuberculosis, hepatitis and HIV. Abubakar was elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2020 in recognition of his research in infectious disease epidemiology and migration and health. Abubakar is also the chair of the Welcome Trust Population Health Expert Review Group on Population Health and the Lancet Migration Initiative: global collaboration to advance migration health.

Dr. Amuasi lectures at the Global Health Department, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. He is Executive Director of the African Research Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ARNTD). He is Group Leader of the Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research Group, at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine which hosts ARNDT. Dr. Amuasi trained as a physician at the KNUST School of Medical Sciences and holds post-graduate degrees, two Masters and a PhD in Health Research and Policy, from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, USA.

Cristina Bescos has more than 15 years’ experience in research and management of large international innovation projects in e-Health. Bescos has worked in public research institutions such as the European Space Agency, and in the private sector for Hewlett Packard, Telefonica I+D and Philips. Bescos joined EIT Health from Royal Philips, where she was the European Programme Manager. She has also held several representative positions at the European level in industrial bodies, standardisation committees, expert forums, and innovation projects in the area of ageing and chronic care management.

Alexander Betts is a Professor of Forced and International Affairs at the University of Oxford, where is also the Associate Head of the Social Sciences and a Senior Fellow in Politics at Brasenose College. His research examines the political economy of refugee assistance, with a focus on Africa. Alexander also currently leads the IKEA Foundation-funded Refugee Economies Programme, which undertakes participatory research on the economic lives of refugees in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia. Prior to this, he served as director of the Refugees Studies Centre. Alexander has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Guardian and is the author of “The Wealth of Refugees: How Displaced People Can Build Economies”, which explores policy solutions for the contemporary global refugee crisis.

Dr. Eunice Brookman-Assimah has a consolidated career in clinical medicine, spanning both the public and private sectors in the UK and in Ghana. She is committed to women’s reproductive health issues and champions women’s rights to equity in health care. In 2001, Brookman-Assimah assumed leadership of the IPAS Africa programme, an international not-for-profit organisation working globally to improve women’s health through a focus on reproductive health. Prior to joining IPAS full-time as Vice-President of Africa, she served as Minister of Health in Ghana from 1996 to 1998 and Ambassador for Ghana to The Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Dixon Chibanda is a professor in psychiatry and the director of the African Mental Health Initiative (AMARI). He’s based in Zimbabwe, where he works on the Friendship Bench program, a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based approach to kufungisisa, the local term for depression, literally translated into “thinking too much.” At the Friendship Bench, patients receive individual problem-solving therapy from a specifically trained lay health worker which has been successfully scaled up in Zimbabwe and introduced to other countries. He is a principal investigator on several research programs and sits on the editorial board of the Lancet Psychiatry International Journal.

Marion Guillou is a French scientist specialised in global food security. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the French Agricultural, Veterinary and Forestry Institute. She also has a variety of national and international responsibilities, especially in relation to food security, climate, research and skills training. Guillou is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and member of the French High Council on Climate (HCC), among others.

Prior to his appointment as the AU Special Envoy for Food Systems, Dr Mayaki had served as the Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) since 2009. From 2004-09, he served as executive director of Rural Hub, a Dakar-based platform supporting rural development in West and Central Africa. Former Prime Minister of Niger from 1997 to 2000, Dr Mayaki is committed to promoting social dialogue. In 2000, he created the first National Social Dialogue Commission of Niger. He also started a think tank for public policy debate on health and education issues. From 1996-97, he was appointed Minister in charge of African Integration and Co-operation and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Debisi Araba is a public policy and strategy specialist, currently managing AGRF, the premier catalytic, multi-partner platform for food and agriculture transformation in Africa. Araba is also a member of the Malabo Montpellier Panel, which strives to secure food and nutritional security in Africa. Previously, Araba was the Africa Director at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (ICTA), where he led strategy and business development for the continent. He also served as a Senior Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Nigeria.

Tom Arnold is an active member of the Champions Network for the 2021 Food Systems Summit, the Global Panel for Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, the Board of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and the Malabo Montpellier Panel. Arnold previously served as the Chair of the European Commission Task Force on Rural Africa. He was also an Administrator with the EU Commission for ten years, serving in Brussels and Africa. Arnold is currently the Chair of the Irish 2030 Agri-Food Strategy Committee.

Olivier de Schutter served as UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food from and was elected to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Olivier was awarded Belgium’s top scientific award, the Prix Francqui, for his contribution to the advancement of EU law, the theory of governance, and human rights law. Previously, he chaired the EU Network of Independent Experts on Fundamental Rights, a high-level group of experts which advised the European Union institutions on fundamental rights issues, acted on a number of occasions as expert for the Council of Europe and for the European Union and served as General Secretary of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH). Olivier is also a Professor at UCLouvain and at Sciences Po Paris. He has also taught at the College of Europe in Natolin, as a Member of the Global Law School Faculty at New York University and as Visiting Professor at Columbia University.

Kamal Djemouai is a specialist in climate change, environment and sustainable development issues with more than 25 years of experience. He has been involved in climate negotiations for more than twenty years, focusing on issues such as climate finance, adaptation, mitigation, transparency and market mechanisms. Former Chair of the African Group of Climate Negotiations (2008-2009), he has been a member of the lead coordinators of the African group for several years. He is also an advisor to the African members of the Green Climate Fund board (GCF). He developed GCF Guidelines for Tunisia (State Actors and Civil Society organizations) and Algeria (Ministry of Environment). He chairs the clean development mechanism accreditation panel (and is an alternate member of the CDM executive board). And has co-chaired and facilitated various negotiating groups under UNFCCC. He is one of the lead authors for the international cooperation chapter of Working Group III of the IPCC 6th assessment report and also an expert for the African Adaptation Initiative (AAI). He was co-author of the climate negotiation guides for the Francophonie Institute for Sustainable Development (IFDD), particularly on sections related to finance and adaptation. He is a Lead Reviewer for UNFCCC transparency reporting. Mr. Kamal Djemouai was for nineteen years a senior executive within the Algerian Ministry of the Environment.

Nisreen Elsaim is the Chair of the UN Secretary General Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. A climate activist and junior negotiator with the African Group of Negotiators in technology transfer with experience across a range of environmental topics, Nisreen was also part of the social movement that brought about democratic change in Sudan. She holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Khartoum, Sudan where she also pursued her master's degree in renewable energy. Nisreen is currently the General Coordinator for Youth and Environment - Sudan (YES), a platform to give all environment working youth the networking they need. She is also the Chair of Sudan Youth Organization on Climate Change (SYOCC). As part of many regional and international platforms Nisreen led and mentored many young leaders within YOUNGO, PACJA, Abu Dhabi youth Voices, and many other young leaders. She focuses on the policies of countries regarding climate change and renewable energies. She has written several policy papers in climate change, renewable energy, gender, and youth empowerment.

Stella Gama is a forest resources management specialist with over twenty years of experience on participatory methodologies, forest governance and institutions, stakeholder engagement, natural resources management and forest administration. Stella has strong passion on enhancing women's effective participation in climate and environment diplomacy. She has nine years working on climate change diplomacy at the UNFCCC, advocating for women empowerment, gender balance in Rio Conventions bodies, gender responsive climate policies, and technology development and transfer. Stella is also acting as UNFCCC negotiator for Malawi and the Least Developing Countries Group. She has served as member and vice chairperson of the Technology Executive Committee and Rapporteur for the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technological Advice at the UNFCCC.

Ineza Grace is an Eco-Feminist Impact driven actor in the climate change sector serving the global community-based in Rwanda. She is the co-founder and coordinator of "the loss and damage youth coalition" a global youth coalition of more than 350 members from +45 countries advocating for concrete action to address the climate injustice, and she is the founder and chief executive officer of "The Green Protector" a Rwandan NGO started in 2017 aiming to increase active youth participation in the creation of a better and protected environment. She is also a junior researcher fascinated with climate change politics to unlock concrete action on the ground.

Daniela Jacob is meteorologist and Director of the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS), a scientific organizational entity of Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, and visiting professor at Leuphana University, Faculty of Sustainability. She was Coordinating Lead Author of the IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above preindustrial levels, and one of the Lead Authors of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (Working Group 2). Daniela Jacob is chair of the German Committee Future Earth (DKN) and co-chair of the Wissenschaftsplattform Nachhaltigkeit (WPN2030). She is member of the European Commission’s Mission Board on “Adaptation to Climate Change including Societal Transformation”, member of the ‘Earth League’, an international alliance of prominent scientists from world‐class research institutions, as well as member of several other committees. Her main research fields and areas of interest are local and regional climate modelling, the hydrological cycle, climate services and adaptation to climate change. Moreover, Daniela Jacob is Editor-in-Chief of Journal “Climate Services”, a new scientific Journal she co-founded with Elsevier.

Tracy Kajumba is a principal Researcher and Team leader strengthening local to global partnerships at IIED’s Climate Change Group. She is also the intersectionality and inequality lead for IIED, and is a member of the SMT, focusing on equitable partnerships, racial equity, gender justice and decolonising research and development. She has over twenty years’ experience of development research, programme management, policy influencing and has worked on diverse development programmes on climate change adaptation across sectors, gender equality and social inclusion and MEL for adaptation. Before IIED, Tracy worked with the Ireland Department of Foreign Affairs as a senior regional advisor for climate change and development for Sub Saharan Africa, country programme lead with the Africa Climate Change Resilience Alliance, Care International in Uganda as a gender and climate change advisor, and with the Government of Uganda in public administration as a senior assistant secretary.

Kandeh Yumkella mobilises global action and plays a leading role for the planning and implementation of ground-breaking initiatives towards a sustainable energy future. Kandeh Yumkella is a distinguished development economist and an expert in agricultural economics with over 25 years of international experience. He is actively engaging relevant stakeholders in government, businesses, academia and civil society at the highest level to advocate for and promote sustainable energy for all. As former chair of UN-Energy, he brought a renewed and vital focus to global energy issues and led the coordination of the United Nations response to energy issues. Previously, Dr. Yumkella served as Director-General of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for two four-year terms. He is currently a member of the National Parliament in Sierra Leone.

Hastings Chikoko has over 25 years’ experience in the sustainable development sector working in Africa and Switzerland. At C40, he cooperates with a network of the world’s megacities committed to addressing climate change. Chikoko also serves on various advisory and supervisory boards, including the African Centre for Cities and the Global Future Council on Clean Air of the World Economic Forum. His work with local governments started at the City of Blantyre in Malawi. He has also worked for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), including as Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, and Head of IUCN in South Africa.

Brian Dames is a leading figure in the African energy sector, having held a number of different senior capacities in the field. As head of Eskom, Dames gained experience in the operations and management of a large national company, later moving to leading roles in international and local business. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Council on the Future of Energy, a former member of the Administrative Board of Sustainable Energy for All, and Non-Executive Director of the Nedbank Group and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).

Alex Benkenstein is the Programme Head of the Climate Change and Natural Resources Programme of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), a leading African think tank. His work in SAIIA has focused on a number of resource governance-related issues, particularly in the fields of ocean governance, climate change and extractive industries governance. He has contributed to a number of regional studies and policy frameworks, including the SADC Blue Economy Strategy and the African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy. He has collaborated with the Nairobi Convention, the Benguela Current Commission, the African Union, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, and various other regional institutions. He is based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Adjany Costa is an ethno-conservationist working as the Advisor for Environmental Affairs to the President of the Republic of Angola, after having served as the youngest Minister in the country's History, to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Environment, at age 30. With a Double Degree Master's in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, she is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Oxford developing an Ethno-conservation cored Integrated Wetland Management Model for the KAZA Headwaters in the Angolan Highlands. She is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and TED Fellow, and has received various recognitions for her work, including the 2019 United Nations Young Champions of the Earth Award, the 2022 Wings Worldquest Women of Discovery Award and a decoration in Angola with a Golden Medal for Civil Merit, in 2019

Alexis is the Founder and CEO of OceanHub Africa (OHA), an ocean-impact accelerator focusing on strengthening the development and adoption of new sustainable ocean solutions in Africa. He holds a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and an MSc in Environmental Engineering from Imperial College London. Former management and sustainable development consultant, he subsequently led R&D and intrapreneurship innovation efforts for a blue-chip construction company in Europe before moving to South Africa in 2017. He then led the development of a social-impact incubator focusing on digital technologies before launching OceanHub Africa. Alexis is a fellow of the Ocean Leaders program, sits at the Steering Committee of UN-endorsed program GEOS and is co-chair of the 1000 Ocean Start-ups coalition.

A fervent defender of African artisanal fishing professionals, Gaoussou Gueye has been a wholesaler since 1995 with more than 35 years of experience in the Senegalese artisanal fishing sector, 15 years of experience in Africa and 10 years of experience in industrial fishing, currently holds the following positions: Chair of the African Platform of Non-State Actors in Fisheries and Aquaculture; President of the Regional Platform of Non-State Actors in Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture in West Africa (PANEPAO); President of the African Confederation of Professional Artisanal Fisheries Organizations (CAOPA); President of the Association for the Promotion and Empowerment of Artisanal Fishing Actors in Mbour (APRAPAM); Former board member of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI); President of the local citizen certification committee of Mbour (Senegal).

Vice-president of the IOC-UNESCO Ocean Decade Task Force on African and Adjacent Island States, Member of the Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts, Professor and Marine Ecotoxicology Expert, IPEIS-SFAX UNIVERSITY-TUNISIA

Paul Walton is Executive Director of the Africa-Europe Foundation. He has extensive international experience in leading organisations and multi-country programmes in complex operational contexts including fifteen years working and living in the Middle East. Paul has been in the vanguard of inter-regional cooperation and was former Director of Strategy at the 43-country Mediterranean Foundation, working from its headquarters in Egypt. He was member of the steering group mandated by the UN Security Council to produce the first global study on ‘Youth, Peace and Security’ and the taskforce to create structures for dialogue among the EU, Civil Society and Authorities following the historic events of the Arab Spring. Paul began his international career as founding Director of the landmark UK Millennium Project ‘Youth 2000’ and was CEO of the award-winning international NGO ‘Global Voice’. As an analyst of global affairs, he is visiting lecturer at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies and has been interviewed in the BBC, Al Arabiya and the New York Times.

Andrzej Dabkowski is Head of Programme Performance and Operations, responsible for leading the operational planning, programming coherence and quality assurance of the Africa-Europe. Andrzej is a public policy consultant focusing on inclusive economic development, and experienced programme director with PRINCE2 Practitioner-qualifications and a significant track record managing portfolio of donor-funded programmes in complex and politically sensitive environments. Previously, Andrzej has spent over a decade in private sector consultancies, most recently as a senior consultant and director of Oxford Policy Management in Indonesia, overseeing delivery of OPM programmes and activities across Southeast Asia. Prior to that he was overseeing a portfolio of market development, business environment and policy advocacy programmes in Africa and South Asia, aiming to build private sector capacity to engage in successful policy dialogue and improve investment climate. Andrzej has worked extensively across Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. He holds an MSc in Economic Theory, HDip in Economics, and BSc in Social Science from the National University of Ireland, University College Cork.

Holy Ranaivozanany is the Deputy Executive Director of the Africa-Europe Foundation, strategically contributing to the organization mission and key priorities, management, partnerships and budget, including responsibility for impactful engagement and outreach across Africa, Europe and through global platforms. Holy has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement and communications regarding sustainability issues. Prior to joining the Africa-Europe Foundation, she led corporate social responsibility and sustainability for Fortune 500 companies based in China and France, covering strategy, policy work and communications. With a focus on technology for good, she launched global digital inclusion and education programmes and drove corporate engagement with international organisations, civil society and academia, notably on climate change and circular economy. A graduate from EDHEC Business School, Holy speaks fluent French, English, Spanish and Malagasy, and has a good command of Portuguese and e lementary proficiency in Chinese.

Youssef Travaly is Senior Advisor responsible for driving, leading and supporting the strategic development of the Africa-Europe Foundation’s work on Digital from Data Governance and Digital Inclusion to Circular Economy.

Vhalinavho (Vhali) Khavhagali is a climate change and biodiversity professional specialist with over 15 years of experience in adaptation. He holds vast knowledge of management practices, scientific training and multidisciplinary approaches, coupled with local, national and international experience. Valhi demonstrated a firm sense of responsibility and leadership throughout his career, working for African government ministries and initiatives, international civil society organisations, and the private sector. Currently, he serves as IUCN Country Director in South Africa.

Tamsin Rose is Senior Facilitator, responsible for moderating high-level discussions within the Africa-Europe Foundation.

Gerry Salole is Strategic Advisor and Ambassador, responsible for ensuring the impact, visibility and political buy-in of the work of the Strategy Groups affiliated to the Africa-Europe Foundation with a particular focus on cross-sector conversations across the Foundation’s five priority focus areas. Gerry is the founding chair of TrustAfrica and sits on the Supervisory Board of the European Cultural Foundation, The Impact Trust, The Advisory Board of the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition, the Wits Centre for Philanthropy and Social Investment, and The International Advisory Council of Afrobarometer. Previously he was the Chief Executive of the European Foundation Centre (2005-2020). Gerry has worked for the Ford Foundation, The Bernard van Leer Foundation, Save the Children Federation, Redd Barna (Norwegian Save the Children), and OXFAM UK. Gerry holds an M.A. (Econ.) and Ph.D. from the University of Manchester, and a B.A. in Social Anthropology and African History from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.

Thomas Sberna, Senior Fellow for Ocean at the Africa-Europe Foundation With more than 15 years of experience at the nexus of nature conservation, climate change, and socio-economic development, Thomas has engaged at all levels, from grassroot NGOs to international organizations, and with a wide variety of stakeholders, from Heads of State to local community members and private sector organizations. Thomas has spent the past decade working on ocean governance and blue economy development on the African continent, which eventually led him to become the Founder and Lead of the Great Blue Wall Initiative, considered today one of the most influential and transformative Ocean Action initiatives on the African continent. Thomas has proven to be an outstanding coordinator and moderator with an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit. Furthermore, he can identify common grounds and opportunities as well as reveal through dialogue the existing connection and potential synergies in a way that enables a wide range of stakeholders to jointly build up unique spaces for strong collaboration to enable them to achieve both scale and speed while strengthening close cooperation.

Camilla Toulmin is Senior Fellow for Sustainable Energy, responsible for driving, leading and supporting the strategic development of the Africa-Europe Foundation’s work on Energy from our pioneering work on Clean Cooking Solutions to a strengthened cross-continental climate alliance for sustainable and accessible energy. Camilla is an economist and former director of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). Camilla’s work has combined field research, policy analysis and advocacy, with a specialised focus on African agriculture, drylands, tenure and the climate change-development nexus. She is currently an Associate at the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) and Professor at Lancaster University.

Raphaël is the Lead Portfolio Manager for Climate and Development at the Africa-Europe Foundation, responsible for the programming, management, coordination and impactful delivery of its workstreams on energy, agri-food systems, ocean governance, climate adaptation, and carbon markets. Previously, Raphaël managed the Climate, Energy, and Sustainability policy area at the Brussels-based think tank, Friends of Europe. He also worked for various think tanks, civil society organizations, private sector companies, and NGOs with projects in Africa and Europe. Raphaël holds a Bachelor's in Geography from Royal Holloway, University of London and an MSc in Climate Change and International Development at the University of East Anglia, UK.

Dr. Manal Benani, an Algerian Medical doctor with a dual degree in diplomacy, is a leading advocate for youth engagement. As a seasoned trainer of debate and public speaking for 9 years with Young Mediterranean Voices Program and the Youth Advisor of the Africa Europe Foundation, Dr. Benani embodies a commitment to empowering young voices. Her impactful presence extends to climate action, where she's selected as a researcher for the upcoming "Youth and Democracy in the Climate Crisis Knowledge" book by the Council of Europe. Representing Algeria, MENA, and Africa, she collaborates with various organizations such as SEforALL, UFM, WPDF, NECE, Anna Lindh Foundation, and the British Council. Dr. Benani's roles as a meeting chair, moderator, and panelist amplify youth perspectives. She is also the co-founder of Sustainable Cooperation for Peace and Security and is active in CISV, All for Civic Education, and Erasmus youth programs, driving holistic change. Dr. Benani's journey underscores her pivotal role in driving climate and energy action on a global scale. Additionally, she has been selected as a scholar in data science for mental health issues in Africa, further demonstrating her commitment to addressing critical challenges in the region.

Rachel Dubale is a Policy Research Assistant responsible for monitoring commitments within the AU-EU partnership. She holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of Bologna and a Research Master's degree in African Studies from Leiden University. She has experience in both academic and non-governmental organizations in Europe, specifically in the Netherlands, as well as abroad, including Martinique and Ethiopia, where she conducted fieldwork on Internally Displaced People in Addis Ababa. She speaks Italian, Amharic, English, Spanish, and French.

Andrea is the Policy and Strategic Communications Manager, responsible for ensuring the Africa-Europe Foundation’s impact targets on policy advocacy and communications. As a sustainable development advocate, she has extensive experience in both international and non-governmental organizations, working on topics related to development finance, global health, migration and early-childhood education at the ONE Campaign, OECD and UN. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Florida and an MA in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action from Sciences Po Paris. She speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian and Greek.

Lucia Mansueto is the Programme Operations Assistant supporting the Africa Europe Foundation's administrative, coordination, and implementation efforts. Lucia holds a bachelor's degree in Oriental and African Languages and Cultures and a master's in International Relations and Institutions of Asia and Africa from the University of Naples L'Orientale in Italy. She's also an Erasmus+ postgraduate scholarship awardee and pursued her studies at the Ghent University in Belgium, focusing on the sociopolitical aspects of Africa and the Middle East, globalization processes, and migration policies. She has also interned at two Belgium-based organizations in the fair trade and sustainable supply chain sectors.

Sheila Senfuma Nakanyike joins Africa Europe foundation as a senior manager for sustainable finance and global governance. She currently serves as the Head of Programme for Digital Finance at Consumers International, a global membership organisation representing over 200 consumer advocacy groups across more than 100 countries. She focuses on empowering consumers, advocating for fair treatment, and driving positive change in the marketplace on various consumer issues, including digital access and rights, product safety, and sustainability. Sheila oversees the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator, which is a collaborative platform for consumer associations in Low- and Middle-Income countries to collectively influence digital finance policies and practices. She leads initiatives aimed at shaping a future where consumers are treated safely, fairly, and honestly in the digital finance sector. She has held positions at the UN World Food Programme Uganda, where she headed the Cash-based Transfers and digital financial inclusion unit. She also worked at Ensibuuko, a leading financial technology company in Africa, and served as an Atlas Corps FinTech fellow at the Bank Policy Institute in Washington DC. Additionally, Sheila gained experience at Citibank, contributing to her diverse background in digital finance across the finance ecosystem.

Ewelina Oblacewicz is Senior Partnerships and Impact Coordinator responsible for technical coordination with AEF strategic partners, impact assessment and knowledge sharing across the Foundation. Ewelina has close to 15 years of experience in international development, partnerships, policy analysis, and monitoring and evaluation acquired across diverse public and private sector organisations focusing on low-income countries. Prior to joining AEF, she led two hallmark philanthropy initiatives hosted by the OECD Development Centre (OECD Network of Foundations Working for Development and Centre on Philanthropy) providing strategic orientations, managing relationships with members and partners and ensuring smooth implementation of activities. Prior to that, she worked as Evaluation Consultant at EY, conducting evaluation studies of development cooperation programmes in developing countries (Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Laos, Philippines, Senegal, Tunisia, Vietnam). She has two Master’s degrees in Environment and Sustainable Development from Sciences Po Paris in France and International Relations from the Warsaw School of Economics in Poland.