Project Executive, Agriculture and Rural Development

• Jun 2021 - Present

Business Development Manager

• Aug 2018 - May 2021

Stantec is a multi-national consulting company working, amongst other, in the field of international development. The Belgian operations specialises in the implementation of projects in developing countries for the promotion of sustainable energy, sustainable natural resource management, integrated water resource management and climate adaptation/mitigation. Some of my functions included: - Establishment of partnerships for the implementation of donor-funded projects, with a focus on the environmental, energy and climate change sectors; - Identification of business opportunities in alignment with the company’s long-term strategy and core sectors of intervention; - Coordination of the preparation of technical proposals aiming at, among others, universal energy access, natural resources sustainable management, water management and biodiversity conservation. This includes the organisation of experts’ meetings, workshops and background research in the related sectors for better-informed strategic decisions; - Provision of inputs into technical proposals, including for the definition of logical frameworks, the identification of expertise needed, the definition of GANTT charts; - Preparation of market and policy analyses in selected business sectors, particularly in relation to the EU’s strategies, for a better definition of the company’s strategy; - Data collection and analyses for research studies funded by international donors, such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank, in the energy and environmental sectors. Show less

Freelance Contributor

• Mar 2018 - Aug 2018

Writer of articles on conservation-related issues following guidelines and planned work schedule. Published articles include: “When the bison is not necessarily from overseas”, about European Bison's reintroduction across the continent; “Mors tua, vita mea: when relics thrive with life”, about shipwrecks as potential biodiversity hotspots in European seas; “Chinese sponge cities”, about urban green infrastructure and nature-based solutions to climate change; “Cybertracking”, about this innovative system for ecological monitoring. Show less

Contributor, Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

• Dec 2017 - Aug 2018

Contributor to the first "State of World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture" report; Synthesis and reporting of analysed data; Liaison and communication with all members of the team and supervising staff; Responsible for literature review and drafting of sections of the final report; Analysis of national trends in pollination management, pollinators and pollination; Literature review, analysis and synthesis of country reports in relation to the concepts of landscape management, landscape and ecosystem approaches, protected areas and area designations for in-situ conservation; Participation in international conference 'Working across sectors to halt deforestation'. Show less

Project Assistant

• Sep 2017 - Dec 2017

Management of webinars covering a series of topics related to sustainable development (e.g. renewable energy); Secondary data collection for the research project “MobilitAria: air quality and sustainable transportation policies in 14 Italian megalopolises” in collaboration with the National Council of Research; Scoping of funding opportunities for the association; Evaluation of applications for a competition related to circular economy; Analysis of potential areas of intervention for prospective projects; Preparation of research and project proposals concerning various areas of interest, including awareness-raising about the Common Agricultural Policy among practitioners; Contact point for of Kyoto Club-led conferences at Ecomondo 2017, the leading Euro-Mediterranean area green and circular economy expo. Show less

Research and Project Assistant

• May 2017 - Jul 2017

Supporting literature review and operations of the research project “Exploring the Evidence of Water-Energy-Food Nexus Linkages to Sustainable Local Livelihoods and Wellbeing in South Africa”; Elaboration of webpage and infographics for the project; Definition of search terms to be used in SCOPUS for literature review; Definition of research methodologies and tools for fieldwork; Identification of recipient communities, Selection of key readings for some of the core topics of the research; Facilitation of FGDs with enumerators for feedback on data collection; Feedback and report writing on fieldwork; Participation in workshops with stakeholders working in the Berg river catchment; Scoping of funding opportunities in areas related to ACDI research. Show less

Project Assistant

• Nov 2016 - Jun 2017

Assistant in the school of international development for the nation-wide Green Impact project, Elaboration of policies for the reduction of the negative environmental impact involving the Development School staff, Documentation of achievements, Internal auditing, Elaboration of initiatives and projects for staff and students’ involvement, Public engagement for Sustainable UEA, Carbon Crew students and Climate Hope Action in Norfolk (CHAIN) in public events (e.g. One Planet Norwich Festival), Organisation of exhibitions; Achievement of Bronze Award for the school of International Development; Elaboration of a campaign and photo competition to save water; Awarded grants from NUS for the funding of activities. Show less

Project Assistant

• Mar 2016 - Jun 2016

Nature Conservation Agency is the Latvian government's body responsible for the management of protected areas, nature protection and management and cooperation with local authorities, tourism entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations and education institutions to promote nature conservation. Moreover, it supervises the implementation of nature-related international agreements and educate and inform the society about nature conservation. Some of the activities performed include: - Research Assistant for the LIFE project "Assessment of ecosystems and their services for nature biodiversity conservation and management” (LIFE EcosystemServices)"; - Organisation of nature educational events/activities; - General administration in Kemeri National Park; - Participation in the elaboration of cross-country projects; - Assistance in Kemeri National Park's information center; - Environmental monitoring with Kemeri National Park rangers; - Assistance in the organisation of tourist forums within the framework of “European Charter of Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas”; - Organisation and participation in Kemeri Junior Rangers activities; - Public engagement and outreach; - Nature-related game devising and science communication. Show less

Administrative and Project Assistant, Department for internationalization

• Jul 2015 - Dec 2015

Sapienza's International Office is responsible for the supervision, coordination and management of international programmes (e.g. Erasmus+), reinforcement of Sapienza's participation in international networks and coordination of international research. Moreover, the department is responsible for the diffusion of information about Sapienza's internationalisation through the organisation of conferences and information material. Some of the tasks performed include: - General administration; - Organisation and support in the organisation of international activities and conferences; - International material and documentation cataloguing; - Editing and translation of texts into English/Italian; - Preparation and finalisation of a census project for the evaluation and assessment of cooperation programmes implemented by Sapienza professors; - Organisation of the conference “Time for action”, defining the Sapienza’s post-2015 development agenda; - Public relations; - Information gathering for projects covering a wide range of topics, including conservation and ecological monitoring. Show less

Administrative Assistant

• Feb 2014 - Jun 2014

The Linguaviva Centre is one of the most popular language schools in Dublin and gathering students mainly from the Middle East, Brazil, Asia and Southern Europe. Not only does the school provide high-quality teachers, but it also provides the students with a 360-degrees experience through the organisation of cultural events and extracurricular activities. Some of the activities I was responsible for include: - General administration; - Organisation of cultural activities for students; - Support to students during office hours; - Costumer Database updating; - Dublin guided tours for visiting scholars and/or students; - Organisation of activities and support to visiting teachers within the framework of Grundtvig Action; - Exam invigilation. Show less

EVS Volunteer

• Jul 2013 - Jul 2013

An EVS project is a partnership between two or more promoting organisations. These organisations are responsible for recruiting volunteers for their project. Projects last from 2 weeks to 12 months, and as a volunteer you can work in a wide range of fields, such as culture, youth, sports, children, cultural heritage, arts, animal welfare, environment and development cooperation. The Open Space Foundation supports and promotes cultural dialogue and relationships through various forms of art and communication. From 2007 to 2012, it organized in the Rhodopy mountain the International Ethno-Jazz Festival. Some of the activities performed include: - Provision of assistance in different facilities of the town, namely the library and the regional museum, in the running of daily activities; - Organisation of workshops and presentations on cultural items of relevance; - Elaboration of weekly activities and trips for local children. Show less

Communications Assistant, Press and public relations department

• Jan 2013 - Apr 2013

Support in the elaboration of promotional material (mainly videos and brochures), Support in the organisation of cultural activities, Editing of information material in English; Workshops on euro-planning and project planning simulation with the association “Mutlu Birey”. Support in the elaboration of promotional material (mainly videos and brochures), Support in the organisation of cultural activities, Editing of information material in English; Workshops on euro-planning and project planning simulation with the association “Mutlu Birey”.