Board members

Board member

Hon. Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir is the current Federal Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education of Somalia. With an overall 30+ years of experience, Hon Abdulkadir has been serving the government leadership for over 10 years. Prior to taking this role, he has served two terms as a federal parliamentarian, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in 2015 and as State Minister of Somalia Presidency.

Outside of the government sector, he has also served as the Advisor to the Direct Aid, Kuwait and the Country Director of Africa Muslim Agency.

He earned a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI) Arusha, Tanzania in collaboration with Maastricht School of Management, in Netherlands. He also has a degree in sharia and Law from International Islamic University, in Islamabad Pakistan.

Alternate Board member

Ms. Carmelita Rita Namashulua is currently the Minister of Education and Human Development of Mozambique. She was Minister of State Administration and Civil Service from 2015 to 2020, and Minister of State Administration between 2010 and 2015. Previously, she served as Deputy Minister of State Administration between 2005 and 2010.

Throughout her professional career, she has always worked in the city of Maputo. She was a physics teacher at Josina Machel Secondary School between 1984 and 1996. She was also the Physics subject delegate at the same school between 1985 and 1987, and Pedagogical Director between 1998 and 2001. Outside of her teaching career, she was the Coordinator of Support Programs for Vulnerable Women in the Office of the First Lady, from 1994 to 2001.

Board member

Ndolombai Sade Njesada is a dedicated and forward-thinking international public health and democracy program manager with over 10 years of progressive experience providing leadership and strategic direction for international institutions focused on public health and democracy.

He is proficient in strategic planning with proven aptitude for program analysis, quantitative analysis, process improvement, critical thinking and problem solving. Has extensive knowledge of sub-Saharan African politics, public health and culture through personal experience as well as diverse professional experience.

Ndolombai Sade Njesada is fluent in French, Chadian Arabic, English (bilingual) and other African languages.

Alternate Board member

In 1996, Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud, then a young graduate with a master's degree in Geography from the UFR of Human Sciences in Poitiers, returned home, full of dynamism and projects to put himself at the service of his country. He began his career at the Ministry of National Education as a History-Geography teacher until 2004.

At the same time, during the 2003-2004 school year, he provided tutoring to the new university center of Djibouti.

From 2004, he moved up the administrative ladder by being promoted to principal-deputy head of establishment then principal. Roles that he will successively assume in three middle education colleges, while training, for the sake of efficiency, in human resources management (2008-2009) and school mediation (2010-2011).

Thanks to his managerial qualities and his integrity, he became, in 2013, head of department at the general directorate of education. He continues his rise as director of sector monitoring and foresight within the general directorate of technical education and vocational training. And, he was appointed minister in 2016.

Board member

​Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack holds a Bachelor of Laws degree and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987. She is a Legislative Drafter and a Certified Conflict Resolution and Peace Building practitioner.

Her Public Service career includes stints as Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief of Staff to a State Governor.

She is an alumna of the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) was appointed as a Federal Permanent Secretary in August 2017 and deployed to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and subsequently served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Federal Ministry of Power, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, from where she was redeployed to the Federal Ministry of Education.

Didi Walson-Jack was recently conferred with the National Honor of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

Alternate Board member

Hon. Claudiana Ayo Cole became the Minister for the Basic and Secondary Education Ministry following the inauguration of President Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia in 2017. Mrs. Cole was a member of the Senior Management Team of the Ministry and as a Regional Education Director, since 2010 prior to her taking up the top office of Minister. She was appointed as teacher in 1981, Headteacher in 1990 and from 2002 she served as a Senior Education Administrator.

Hon Minister Cole earned her Primary Teachers’ Certificate from the Gambia College in 1981, a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in Educational Management at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in the United Kingdom in 2001 and further pursued a Master of Education degree in Educational Management at the same University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the United Kingdom, graduating in 2006.

After graduation in 1981, Mrs. Cole spent the next 26 years working in the field as a teacher, then Headteacher, before making her way into Educational Administration and seconded to the African Women Educationalists Gambia Chapter (FAWEGAM) as Senior Education officer where she joined in the campaign for Girls’ education. She become Principal Education Officer in one of the remotest Educational Regions in The Gambia in 2008, and then rose to become the Regional Education Director in 2010 up to 2016 when she was redeployed to Region one (1) in the Greater Banjul area.

As one of the longest-serving educationists with more than three decades in the educational sector, she is known for her work on education policy reforms and management of education even in hard to reach areas of the country. Mrs. Claudiana A. Cole can be considered as one of the pioneers of the Girls’ education agenda that has brought about parity and inclusive education in The Gambia during the Education for All (EFA) call, and now the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Board member

Honourable Dr. Ismail Shafeeu is the Minister of Education in the Maldives. With a Ph.D. from the University of Durham and a Master's Degree from the University of Malaya, he has played key roles in shaping the nation's educational landscape. From his early days as a Chemistry teacher to serving as the Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Ismail’s career is marked by a commitment to quality education. During his tenure as the Deputy Minister of Education he played a key role in education policy formulation. His contributions extend to the higher education sector as well, where he served as the Dean of the Islamic University Research Centre. A recipient of prestigious awards such as the Commonwealth Scholarship Award from Commonwealth Scholarship Commission/England (2015) and the Award of Scholastic Achievement from University Malaya/Malaysia (2011), Dr. Ismail brings a wealth of experience and innovation to his role, ensuring a transformative impact on education in the Maldives.

Alternate Board member

Wayne Mendiola was born on April 17, 1974 in Pohnpei, FSM. He graduated from Nett Elementary School in Pohnpei, FSM in 1988 with a diploma. He then went on to Xavier High School in Chuuk, FSM and graduated in 1992 with a high school diploma. He then attended College of Micronesia-FSM from 1992 to 1995 an earn an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts and a Third Year Certificate in Teaching.

He started his career 1995 as a school vice principal at Pohnpei Catholic School for 2 years. He then became the principal of Pohnpei Catholic School from 1997 to 2003. While he was the school principal he also took classes at University of Guam and received his Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education in 2000.

In 2003 he started working for the Department of Health Education and Social Affairs office at FSM National Government as the School Health Program Coordinator. In 2007, he then became the Postsecondary Administrator under the Department of Education at the National Government until 2013.

While he was serving as the Postsecondary Administrator, he attended classes online at the San Diego States University (SDSU) and graduated in 2011 with a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership.

From 2013 until today he is the Assistant Secretary of the FSM Department of Education. He is currently the Acting Secretary for the FSM Department of Education. He is currently the Chairman of FSM National Commission for UNESCO; the Chairman of the FSM Nutrition Council, Member of the Pacific Board of Education Quality (PBEQ), member of the Pacific Heads of Education System (PHES).

He is also the a Steering Committee member for the Pacific Island Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA).

Board member

Alternate Board member

Dan Perciun took on the role of Minister in July 2023. From 2019 to 2023, he served as Deputy and Head of the Parliament Commission for Social Protection, Health, and Family. During this time, Mr. Perciun handled a range of tasks, from crafting laws to overseeing programs and conducting evaluations. He actively supported the reform of the social benefits and pensions system in the country.

Since 2014, he's been deeply involved in various activities, such as evaluating the National Strategy in Agriculture 2020 and implementing child-centered education in Moldova. In his stint as Head of the E-transformation Department at the Ministry of Education (2014-2015), he worked on digital competence standards and educational projects in Information Technologies.

As the Minister of Education and Research, Dan Perciun is pushing for reforms to improve education quality and reduce gaps between rural and urban areas. One of his main goals is to establish a network of regional model schools, making education more accessible for vulnerable children.

His priorities also include promoting inclusive education, maintaining integrity, improving teacher's training, and modernizing higher education through digitalization and internationalization. Dan Perciun's dedication to these goals reflects his commitment to making positive changes in education.

Board member

Honorable Esponda is Minister of Education in Honduras. He graduated as an Outdoor Education Teacher in 2007 and, in 2010, graduated as a Professor of Secondary Education in Social Sciences at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Francisco Morazán.

He also has a Diploma in Higher Education obtained in 2012 and is currently completing his Master's Degree in Social and Cultural History at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras.

Alternate Board member

Priya Manickchand embarked on a remarkable career as a politician and advocate for children and women's rights. In 2006, she was elected to Parliament, assuming the role of Minister of Human Services and Social Security.

With a steadfast commitment to combating violence against women and children, she launched a nationwide campaign against sexual violence, leading to groundbreaking legislation and the establishment of a Childcare and Protection Agency.

Through her efforts, she decentralized Legal Aid services, ensuring access to justice for the vulnerable. Recognized for her contributions, she received an Honorary Doctorate from Lesley University in 2014.

Her dedication continued as she served as Minister of Education, initiating educational reforms, promoting universal education, and implementing innovative programs to enhance math and English proficiency.

Board member

A Senior diplomat, Clélia Chevrier Kolačko is Deputy Director for Sustainable Development at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2022. Her Division is responsible for managing French ODA, supporting the 2030 Agenda, financing for development, international negotiations in the fields of climate/environment, health, food security/nutrition, gender, education, stabilization and good governance.

She was formerly Cultural Counsellor at the French Embassy in Morocco, then Director-general of the French Cultural Institute in Morocco (2018), Head of the Department of Higher Education and Research (2015), Deputy Head of Mission at the French Embassy in Croatia (2011) and Deputy Finance Advisor at the French Embassy in Russia (2008).

Graduate of Paris’ Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) and of the University of Mannheim (Diplom-Kauffrau), she is the Founder of the French Female Diplomats Association.

Alternate Board member

Annalena Flury-Angelotti is responsible for the Swiss engagement in global education, with expertise in education financing and innovative financing, system governance, inclusion and equity as well as and human rights education. She also represents Switzerland in the International Advisory Committee of the research project Innovative Financing for Education to LNOB.

Ms. Flury-Angelotti has more than 12 years of experience in international development cooperation and humanitarian aid. She has held different positions in Switzerland and abroad managing programs in education, health, human rights and evaluation. She has several years of field experience primarily in West and East Africa including fragile contexts such as Chad, where she was responsible for the education portfolio.

Prior to SDC, Annalena Flury-Angelotti was working at the Office of Gender Equality at the University of Bern and prior to that she served as a Program Manager at the Center for Human Rights Education in Lucerne. She started her career as a journalist and communication expert.

Ms. Flury-Angelotti holds a MA in Political Science, Political Economy and Social Anthropology as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Mass Media / Communication Research.

Board member

Line Friberg Nielsen has more than 15 years of experience from multilateral and non-governmental organizations, government entities and consultancies. She has several years of field experience, primarily from East and West Africa including fragile contexts such as Liberia.

She now holds the position as Chief Technical Advisor in the department for Migration, Stabilization and Fragility, and is the lead on Danish engagement in global education including with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Education Cannot Wait (ECW).

Prior to her current position, she served as Senior Policy Advisor with Save the Children Denmark. Prior to joining Save the Children she was a Policy Officer with the UK Mission to the UN in New York, and before that she was with UNFPA for a number of years.

Ms. Friberg Nielsen holds an MA degree in Communication and a BA degree in Development Studies.

Alternate Board member

Helena Reuterswärd is a Senior Programme Officer Education at Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) at the unit for Global Social Sustainable Development, department of International Organisations and Policy Support (INTEM) in Stockholm. In 2019-2023, she was Sida’s Senior Policy Specialist for Education. She has a long field experience coordinating Sweden’s education support in Tanzania including being GPE’s grant agent 2015-2019. Also, she has been working with social development including health, human rights, democracy and methods with CSOs, UNHCR and Sida in Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Nicaragua. Helena Reuterswärd holds Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from Umeå University in Sweden.

Board member

Sharon Armstrong will begin serving as Director General, Social Development Bureau in Global Affairs Canada in September 2023. Prior to that role, Ms. Armstrong was posted to Canada’s Permanent Delegation to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France, as Deputy Permanent Representative (2018-2023), where she was Canada’s delegate to both the OECD Executive Committee and the External Relations Committee and served as the Vice-Chair to the latter from 2019-2022.

Ms. Armstrong has served the government of Canada since 1996, working to advance Canada’s international interests related to economic and social development, human rights and humanitarian affairs. Initially with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and now with Global Affairs Canada, Ms. Armstrong has undertaken a series of assignments managing bilateral development assistance programs in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Prior to representing Canada at the OECD, she served at the Embassy of Canada in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 2015-2018 as Development Director with responsibilities for bilateral program in Indonesia and the regional program with ASEAN. Her previous postings include La Paz, Bolivia (2002-2004) and Geneva, Switzerland (2008-2012).

Ms. Armstrong's work in multilateral contexts also includes being seconded to the WHO to support the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health, which was co-chaired by the Prime Minister of Canada and President of Tanzania. Ms. Armstrong holds a master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the Université de Genève, Switzerland and a bachelor’s eegree in International Development from the University of Guelph, Canada.

Alternate Board member

Judith Herbertson, Head of the Girls’ Education Department, FCDO, UK Government joined the former Department for International Development in 2003, and has worked in Ethiopia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

She currently heads the Girls’ Education Department at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Before joining the civil service, Judith worked in secondary education in the UK for 17 years.

Board member

As a Norwegian senior diplomat. he is now education adviser in the MFA's Department for sustainable development.

He was Norway's ambassador to Latvia until 2022, and held previously diplomatic positions in Argentina, Brazil, Germany, United States of America, United Arab Emirates and Austria.

In the Norwegian MFA he was i.a. Head of Division for Asia and Latin America, Head of the Section for Development Policy and Policy Director for Research.

Alternate Board member

Ms. Al Ghadiri, is UAE diplomat, joined the foreign service of the UAE in 2013; She is passionate about supporting education in the partner countries, and is willing to take additional responsibility in the PILC representing Donor 4 and the UAE.

Ms. Al Ghadiri has been managing and representing the UAE Development Aid sector in Education and Health for more than three years; been the Technical Advisor to the UAE Representative in GPE- recently became the UAE Representative in Donor 4 group.

Ms. Al Ghadiri comes from multilateral cooperation background; Is currently Senior Specialist, under the Development International Cooperation sector in the UAE MoFA. Ms. Al Ghadiri has master's degree in Humanitarian and Development Cooperation, and master's degree in Cultural and Post-colonial Studies.

She speaks English, Arabic, and French.

Board member

Mr. Seychell is a graduate in chemistry and pharmaceutical technology. He occupied the post of Head of Directorate for Foodstuffs and Chemicals at the Malta Standards Authority between 2001 and 2006, and that of Director of Environment Protection at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority between 2006 and 2011.

He was appointed Deputy Director General for Health and Consumers at the European Commission in March 2011.

Between 2014 and 2020 he was Deputy Director-General for Health in the Health and Food Safety Directorate-General (SANTE), responsible for directorates dealing with public health and health systems and products, covering a number of policy areas including health security, health systems, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, tobacco control and digital health.

He also represented the Commission on the Management Board of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) between 2011 and 2020. He was appointed Deputy Director General responsible for Directorates G & R (Human Development, Migration, Governance and Peace (G), and Resources (R)) in DG INTPA in June 2020.

Alternate Board member

Dr. Heike Kuhn is a lawyer with more than 30 years of professional experience in foreign and development policy, human and social rights, strategies, budget, human resources management and change processes, communicating in six languages.

She studied in Germany, Great Britain, Italy and the former Soviet Union, having gained extensive working experience in Bonn, Berlin, Brussels, Geneva and New York and several developing countries when negotiating (e.g. Cotonou Agreement, 2030 Agenda).

Dr. Kuhn was posted to Rome from 2007 to 2011 as first female Board Executive Director to IFAD, also in charge of WFP. She is interested in a more equal, inclusive and sustainable world for all, striving for recovering better and more equal after COVID-19.

Board member

LeAnna Marr oversees USAID's Center for Education. As a USAID Foreign Service Officer since 2004, she has served as Education Office Director and Program Officer in Guinea, South Sudan, Sudan, and Macedonia, and was the Program Officer and Acting Mission Director of USAID/Morocco.

She also served as USAID’s Senior Education Advisor in the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs. Prior to joining USAID, she worked as Associate Peace Corps Director in Guinea and as executive director of a non-profit alternative education program in Washington, DC. Ms. Marr has a Master’s degree in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and an undergraduate degree in French from Kalamazoo College.

Alternate Board member

Rhona is also Director of the Global Education and Scholarships team. She previously worked as Director Micronesia, Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner for Tonga, led DFAT’s portfolio of Pacific climate change work (2014-17).

Rhona has worked on bilateral relations between Australia and Melanesian partners – on forestry and climate change in Papua New Guinea, a posting at Australia’s diplomatic mission in the Solomon Islands, and law and justice and health partnerships in Vanuatu.

Rhona holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Science with Honors from The University of Queensland and a Master of Forestry from the Australian National University.

Board member

Ms. Yona Nestel is Plan International’s Education Policy and Advocacy Lead, with nearly 20 years of experience in education programing, advocacy and policy.

Much of her career has been spent in developing countries working with CSOs and ministries of education on issues including gender equality and inclusion, early childhood education (ECD), and education in emergencies (EiE).

Yona has actively contributed to the CSO 1 constituency since 2011 and has had the honor of serving as CSO 1 alternate representative alongside Kira Boe since 2019.

Alternate Board member

Susan Nicolai, Save the Children’s Global Director of Education, brings extensive expertise in championing children's right to quality education.

She has previously served as lead architect for Education Cannot Wait, founding Coordinator for the Global Education Cluster, and a founding Director of EdTech Hub. Her research has explored education system coherence and coordination, drivers of progress within the sector, and questions of equity and inclusion.

Susan’s in-country experience spans several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

As part of the GPE board, she hopes to contribute a collective civil society voice and see stronger child/youth representation.

Board member

Ms. Solange Koumbon Napoe epouse Akpo-Gnandi, ANCEFA Regional Coordinator, is a lawyer and human rights activist. She joined ANCEFA in 2007, contributing to the coalition building and strengthening process, making the education advocacy and campaign in Africa more vibrant.

She was one of the CSO 2 regional focal points for Africa set up by GCE and has also participated in several CSO 2 pre-Board meetings, and in GPE Board meetings as observer or technical advisor.

Alternate Board member

An educationist and social activist working within and outside the government for over three decades, I am currently working as the Executive Director (CEO) of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE).

Earlier, I was an Adviser (Cabinet Minister) to Bangladesh's Interim Non-party Caretaker Government and served in high-level decision-making positions in the Ministries of Primary and Mass Education, Cultural Affairs, and Women and Children Affairs.

As a co-founder of GCE, I have been involved with its member NGOs/coalitions particularly in the AP region. I have also been engaged, as a board member in a number of private sector/ philanthropic mechanisms in the country.

Board member

Ms. Haldis Holst is a qualified teacher with experience from teaching in primary, secondary and adult education in Norway between 1983 and 1997.

Elected as a full time official at regional and national level of Union of Education Norway in 1997–2013, she also served on the Executive Board of Education International from 2004 to 2012.

Ms. Holst is the Deputy General Secretary of Education International since 2013. She served as Chair of the Governing Board of the European Wergeland Center (2012-2020) and on the Board of Directors of GPE since 2018.

Alternate Board member

Mr. Dennis Sinyolo is currently Africa Director of Education International. From 2006 to June 2020, Mr. Sinyolo was Senior Coordinator at Education International Headquarters in Brussels.

He has served on several international boards and committees, among others UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report, the SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee, the Steering Committee of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 and the Global Partnership for Education’s Strategy and Impact Committee.

He holds a doctorate in Education Management from the University of South Africa. Before joining the EI Secretariat, Mr. Sinyolo was Secretary General of Zimbabwe Teachers Association and a teacher in Zimbabwe.

Board member

Mr. David Boutcher has been a corporate partner in the international law firm Reed Smith LLP since 1988 and from 2011 to 2016 he was part of the firm's senior management team, being head of all the firm's 800 transactional lawyers.

He is a founding member and trustee of the global children's charity Theirworld, and Director of its subsidiary The Global Business Coalition for Education. He is also the existing Board member for the Private Sector at GPE.

In June 2017 Mr. Boutcher was awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honors for his services to children's charity and advocating corporate involvement.

Alternate Board member

Emily Friedman is the Head of Business Investment for Education Impact at the Global Business Coalition for Education.

Previously, she was the Director of Strategy and Impact at WeWork, focused on the future of work, investing in social entrepreneurs, and designing company-wide impact policies. Before that, Emily served as the Deputy Director of the Clinton Global Initiative University at the Clinton Foundation, working to elevate and support young social entrepreneurs from around the globe.

Emily has also led social impact campaigns for GOOD and Participant Media in Los Angeles in partnership with the Gates Foundation. She is the founder of an English language program in Costa Rica and developed and led a tourism-centered economic development initiative in Colombia.

Emily holds a Master’s degree in International Development from Columbia University and received her BA in Political Science from Skidmore College.

Board member

Dr. Andrew Cunningham serves as the Global Lead for Education at the Aga Khan Foundation, overseeing partnerships globally to enhance lifelong learning in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Collaborating with diverse stakeholders, including governments, academia, and civil society, he co-develops and scales educational innovations.

With a decade-long involvement in the IEFG and co-founding the Schools2030 initiative, he emphasizes teachers' pivotal role in global educational change across ten countries.

Prior roles include work with UNICEF Kenya, World Bank, and cofounding Kenya's WISER, a top STEM school for girls. Andy holds degrees from Duke and Oxford Universities, focusing his doctorate on effective school leadership strategies using technology in Kenya.

Alternate Board member

Christopher Thomas is Director of Partnerships at the Yidan Prize Foundation. He recently completed two-years as Lecturer and Social Entrepreneur in Residence at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education.

Before coming to the Yidan Prize and Stanford, he was the Advisor to the Education Global Practice at the World Bank. He has served in a range of corporate strategy and management roles at the World Bank Group, including Lead Strategy Officer, Advisor to the Managing Director, and Manager of human development programs in Asia and Africa.

Mr. Thomas played a key role in forging the World Bank’s contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations agreements on Financing for Development, and partnerships with the IMF and multilateral development banks.

Mr. Thomas holds an M.A. in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. in Education from Stanford University.

Board member

Ms Stefania Giannini was appointed UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education in 2018, becoming the top UN official in the field. She provides strategic vision and leadership in coordinating and monitoring the Education 2030 Agenda, encompassed in Sustainable Development Goal 4.

During her term, she has given fresh impetus to multilateral and bilateral partnerships; increased global focus on education’s ethical role in providing learners with the skills to respond to 21st century challenges and heightened attention to the responsibility of universities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. She affirmed UNESCO’s leadership in the COVID-19 response through global evidence, guidance, policy dialogue and collaboration with public and private partners, including through the Global Education Coalition.

With a background in the Humanities, Ms Giannini has served as Rector of the University for Foreigners of Perugia (2004 – 2012); Senator of the Republic of Italy (2013 – 2018) and Minister of Education, Universities and Research (2014 – 2016).

Alternate Board member

Ms. Valerie Newsom Guarnieri has been WFP Assistant Executive Director since January 2018. In this role, she leads cutting-edge program and policy development towards ending hunger, spear heading WFP efforts to ensure protection and inclusion, expand school meals and nutrition programs, empower women, build resilient food systems and support cash transfers and social protection.

Previously, she also provided oversight for emergency and supply chain functions, ensuring delivery of essential food assistance to the most vulnerable, food-insecure people around the world. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Guarnieri served as WFP Regional Director for East and Central Africa providing supervision, strategic guidance and support for some of WFP’s largest and most complex country operations, as WFP’s global Program Director, and in a variety of country office, regional and headquarter positions since August 2000.

Before WFP, she worked in the U.S. Government, at the National Security Council and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), as part of dedicated, inter-disciplinary teams to save lives and help create conditions for sustainable peace, with particular focus in Africa.

Ms. Guarnieri holds a Master of Arts from the School of International Service of American University in Washington, D.C.

Board member

Mr. Robert Jenkins, Global Director, Education and Adolescent Development, joined UNICEF in 1995. He brings over 20 years of experience in international development and humanitarian programming in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Jenkins served as the UNICEF Representative in Jordan, from 2014 to 2019, and Deputy Director, Division of Policy and Strategy in UNICEF Headquarters from 2009 to 2014.

Mr. Jenkins serves on several executive boards including the Global Partnership for Education, Education Cannot Wait and the Global Education Monitoring Report.

Mr. Jenkins holds a Doctor of Education Degree, University of Bath and a Master’s degree, London School of Economics.

Alternate Board Member

Sajjad Malik is the Director for the Division of Resilience and Solutions at UNHCR. Before his current function, he was UNHCR’s Representative in Damascus, Syria. After which he served as the Special Adviser to the Executive Office in Geneva, Switzerland.

Furthermore, Mr. Malik has previously served as Head of the Organizational Development & Management Service and Chief of the Operational Solutions & Transitions.

The majority of his UNHCR career, for over 30 years, has been spent in the field in various capacities, notably in Africa. He has worked in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Pakistan, Syria and at HQ.

Board member

Mr. Luis Benveniste is the Human Development Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank. He was a co-author of the World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development.

His research interests focus on teacher policies and student assessment practices. Other publications include Teaching in Cambodia (2008), with J. Marshall and M. Araujo, Teaching in Lao PDR (2008), with J. Marshall and L. Santibaez, "The political structuration of assessment: Negotiating State power and legitimacy," in A.H. Halsey, P. Brown, H. Lauder & J. Dillabough (eds.), Education: Globalization and Social Change (2006) and All Else Equal (2003), with M. Carnoy and R. Rothstein, a book on accountability and the organization of public and private schools in the United States.

Mr. Benveniste has also previously worked on a wide variety of World Bank education projects in Africa and East Asia and Pacific. He received a B.A. Magna Cum Laude in Psychology from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in International Comparative Education from Stanford University.

Alternate Board member

Idrissa Dia is the Director, Economic and Social Infrastructure Global Practices Department in the Islamic Development Bank Group since July 2021. The Department covers Agriculture, Health, Education, Energy and ICT, Transport, Water and Urban development sectors.

Idrissa has 28 years of professional experience in infrastructure development and financing, including 25 years in development finance and international development, working with the public and private sectors in Africa, Central & South Asia, Middle East, Europe, and North Africa.

He previously served as Global Practice Manager, Urban Development and Disaster Risk Management for Africa, at the World Bank (2015-2016).

He holds a Master of Science in Finance from Montreal University, with concentration in Financial Institutions & Development Projects Finance.

A Haitian national, Nesmy Manigat is a professor of entrepreneurship at the University both in Haiti and abroad. He is also an international consultant and speaker in development, with more than 25 years of experience in the private sector as well as in public and associative institutions, particularly in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

For 10 years, he headed the Department of Small and Medium Enterprises at Quisqueya University in Haiti and subsequently taught entrepreneurship at the Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Guinea and the National School of Arts and Crafts in Conakry.

In 2007, he was at the origin of the agreement on the Cross-Border Observatory of Haitian and Dominican Universities. Member and Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Professions of the North-East of Haiti in 2012, he promotes technical and vocational training projects in this region in connection with the industrial parks of the area.

An economic journalist and professor-researcher, his numerous studies and publications in both Haitian and foreign newspapers focus on innovation, competitiveness, the relationship between training and employment, local development and official development assistance. Minister of National Education and Vocational Training of Haiti from April 2014 to April 2016, he was reappointed again at the head of the same ministry in November 2021.

In 2016, he was appointed Chairman of the Governance, Ethics, Risk and Financing Committee of the Global Partnership for Education and currently chairs the Finance and Risk Committee. In 2016, he joined the list of "Top Global Thinkers" as Speaker of the Kapuscinski Development Lectures, a famous platform for high-level conferences on development jointly organized by the European Union and UNDP.

As Minister of Education, Nesmy Manigat is known for having taken "12 measures" to improve the governance of the system and the quality of education, published in the official journal Le Moniteur. Among other things, he set up the National Office for Partnership in Education and signed the ministerial decree creating the General Inspectorate of National Education and Vocational Training.

He launched the Early Childhood curriculum, instituted a national assessment from the fourth year of primary school and began the generalization of the "new secondary" of the Bernard reform, which was supposed to be provided according to three main streams: one of general education (in progress), one of technological education and one of pedagogical education.

Supported by the "forum of former ministers of education" that he promoted, he had a national pact for education signed (already proposed by the GTEF) by a large number of representatives of the political class and civil society, aiming, among other things, to double public spending on education.

Mr. Manigat was an International Technical Assistant for 10 years for the European Development Fund (EDF), supporting the management of education systems, both in Haiti and in West Africa, and one of the main advisors to the Working Group on Education and Training (GTEF), Haiti, a presidential commission created in 2007.

Mr. Manigat began his career as a civil servant at the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE) in Haiti before joining the Central Bank of Haiti (BRH). He then held the position of Executive Director of Group Croissance, a research firm that plays an important role as a "think tank" in Haiti in the fields of competitiveness and employment.

Judith Herbertson, Head of the Girls’ Education Department, FCDO, UK Government joined the former Department for International Development in 2003, and has worked in Ethiopia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

She currently heads the Girls’ Education Department at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Before joining the civil service, Judith worked in secondary education in the UK for 17 years.