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AADR2021 Post-Event Guide
Keynote Speakers
Amjad Abbashar
Chief - Regional Office for Africa
 UNDRR - United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

Mr. Abbashar was appointed as the Chief of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Regional Office for Africa in 2016. From 2010 to 2015, he was the Chief of the UNISDR Regional Office for Arab States in Cairo, Egypt. Mr Abbashar began his United Nations career in the early 1990’s serving as Programme Officer with the UNDP Emergency Unit in Sudan dealing with Operation Lifeline Sudan. From 1995 -1997 he served as Field Coordinator in the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in Monrovia during the Liberian civil war, and from 1998 to 1999 he was assigned as Deputy Head office in OCHA Sierra Leone. He joined the Policy Development and Studies Branch at OCHA Headquarters in New York in 1999, serving as a Humanitarian Affairs Officer focusing on inter-governmental matters related to the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. From 2004 to 2005, Mr. Abbashar served as the Chief of Staff of OCHA. Later- in 2006, he was Chief of the Policy Planning and Analyses Section where he focused on developing policies related to humanitarian affairs and their interface with the UN’s development, political and peacekeeping agendas. In 2006 he helped establish the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Later he was part of the small team that established United Nations Peace-building Support office and the Human Security Trust Fund. Mr. Abbashar graduated from Khartoum University and obtained an MA in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia.
Dr. Musiwalo Moses Khangale
Director - Fire Services
 South Africa - National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC)

Dr. Musiwalo Moses Khangale is currently the Director of Fire Services within the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) since 01 June 2011. Until 31 May 2011, Dr. Khangale was a Deputy Director responsible for the administration and oversight of the National Veld and Forest Fire Act, within the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Dr. Khangale also served as a Manager: Disaster Management for the Tlokwe Local Municipality, North West Province from 2007 – 2009, and also worked in the City of Tshwane as an Emergency Services Official and a Disaster Management Officer from 2001 to 2007. He has a National Diploma in Public Management from the Tshwane University of Technology, a Diploma in Disaster Management and in BTECH in Public Management both from the University of South Africa. He also holds a Masters in Disaster Management from the University of the Free State. In 2017, Dr. Khangale obtained a Philosophiae Doctorate in Development and Management at North West University on the topic: A Model for integrating Disaster Risk Reduction in national multi-sectoral planning in South Africa. As Director of Fire Services, within the National Disaster Management Centre, Dr. Khangale is entrusted with the responsibility to coordinate implementation of Fire Brigade Services Act in the country and contributing to the regional and global disaster risk reduction agenda. Currently, Dr. Khangale is busy with a Masters’ in Philosophy: Leadership in Emerging Economies with the University of Johannesburg.


Workshop Hosts
Julius Kabubi
Programme Analyst
 UNDRR - United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

Mr. Kabubi is a Programme Analyst at United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Regional Office for Africa. He has supported the region in building DRR Capacity to effectively implement the Sendai Framework for resilience aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Paris Climate Agreement, New Urban Agenda and Agenda for Humanity. He also supports DRR policy coordination within Member States and partnerships development particularly with the private sector, Youth, parliamentarians and CSOs.

Julius is hosting the pre-event UNDRR Workshop.
Matthew Johnson
Industry Liaison,Office of Acquisition & Assistance
 USAID - Management Bureau (M/OAA)

Matthew Johnson is the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Industry Liaison and Communications Director for the Office of Acquisition and Assistance. In this role, he helps to connect and engage with organizations around doing business with USAID. He has led a number of initiatives in support of these efforts, including the creation of the Agency’s live-feed Business Forecast, the development of the first-ever Acquisition and Assistance Strategy, and the New Partnerships Initiative. He has been with USAID since 2008. Prior to joining USAID, he served as the Director of Presidential Personal Correspondence and the Deputy Director of Presidential Writers at the White House.

Matthew is hosting the pre-event USAID Funding Workshop.
Rishi Ramrakha
Head of Unit - Africa Region,Global Humanitarian Services & Supply Chain Management
 IFRC - International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Rishi Ramrakha is currently Head of the Africa Region - Global Humanitarian Services and Supply Chain Management Unit - for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies ( IFRC ) based in Nairobi Kenya. He is responsible for coordinating logistics demands within the region, this includes recruitment and secondment of staff, procurement and supply of non-food items and fleet services, training and developing of logistics staff and maintaining a disaster preparedness stock to enable Red Cross partners to respond to small scale disasters.

Rishi is hosting the pre-event IFRC Logistics Supplier Workshop.
Tigabu Adane Ayele
Head of Procurement Management Unit - Global Procurement Support Section (GPSS),Office of Supply Chain Management
 UNPD - UN Secretariat Procurement Division

Mr. Tigabu Adane Ayele is Head of Procurement Management Unit at the Global Procurement Support Section (GPSS), United Nations Procurement Division, Office of Supply Chain Management, Department of Operational Support (PD/OSCM/DOS). Before joining the UN in 2006, Mr. Ayele, took responsible positions in the capacity of Senior Procurement & Logistics Officer and Operations Manager for over 10 years at various Government and International Organizations. Under the United Nations, in addition to his current assignment at PD/GPSS, he served in four UN field Missions (MINUSTAH, UNAMID, UNSOA & MINURSO) as Procurement Officer, Chief Procurement Officer & chief of Acquisition Planning & Requisitioning Section for 14 years. Mr. Ayele received his BA Degree in Social Science from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia and his MSc. In Procurement from the University of Glamorgan, UK and is a professional member of CIPS (The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply), UK. Mr. Ayele enjoys spending his leisure time socializing with friends and peers and on community collaboration & social service activities.

Tigabu is hosting the pre-event UN Procurement Workshop.


Speakers
Bubacarr Singhateh (Panel Chair)
Member / National Migration Focal Point
 AYC - African Youth Commission / GRCS - Gambian Red Cross Society

Bubacarr is a young humanitarian from The Gambia - volunteered with The Gambia Red Cross Society (GRCS). He has 21 years of volunteering experience with the Red Cross, serving in different leadership positions including the National Youth Commission, providing policy guidance on youth-related matters, whilst overseeing programmes and strategies on Migration and Humanitarian Education. He has undergone numerous training in youth and volunteer development, Disaster Preparedness and Response including DRR and Climate Change, Migration, First Aid, Health education, Beneficiary Communications, among a host of others. Bubacarr currently serves the GRCS as the Migration Project Coordinator and the National Migration Focal Point. He previously worked as a Regional Youth Programme Officer for the Migration Information Centre jointly established by IOM Gambia and The Gambia National Youth Council. Bubacarr is also the Chairperson of the Sukuta Youth Development Committee. He has served as a Regional Focal Point for West and Central Africa, and a Global Focal Point for the Humanitarian Affairs Working Group of MGCY, where he co-led and coordinated meaningful youth participation and engagement from regional to global level - ensuring the contribution of youth perspectives into various intergovernmental policy processes at the UN level. He is also an active member of Africa Youth Commission (AYC). He has participated in several local and international meetings/seminars as the lead or member of the organizing team, as a speaker and panellist.
Dr. Ahmed Amdihun
Regional Disaster Risk Assessment Specialist
 IGAD Climate Prediction & Application Centre (ICPAC)

Dr. Ahmed Amdihun is an Environmental Remote Sensing and GIS Analyst by profession currently working as Regional Disaster Risk Management Specialist for Eastern Africa with IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre. Dr.Ahmed has over 12 years of experience on the areas of Disaster Risk Reduction, environmental system modeling, and spatial planning and analysis and capacity development in the developing economies setting. Before joining IGAD, Ahmed has worked for various national and international organizations at different capacities including UNDRR as Technical Advisor, Assistant Professor for Addis Ababa University, International Livestock Research Institute as Senior GIS Analyst, among others.
Dr. Faneke Dembele
Expert in Charge of Humanitarian Issues
 Mali - Permanent Secretariat of the Crisis Management Policy Framework at the Center

Dr. Faneké Dembele has a recognized professional experience within the Permanent Secretariat of the Political Framework for Crisis Management in Mali at the Prime Minister's Office, including in the administrative organization and planning of the state, in inter-ministerial coordination as well as in the coordination of stabilization activities and projects financed by international donors. He has an expertise in human security issues, protection of civilian populations and the links between security and development as well as proven business capacity to produce strategic analyzes and propose coherent strategic orientations taking into account the sensitivity of the political context. Between 2014-2019, Dr. Dembele has worked with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on the needs assessment humanitarian organizations (HNO), the development of the humanitarian response plan (HRP) with the development of the Strategic Plan and the Annual Operational Plan, and has an excellent ability to write administrative decisions and activity reports at the level of the Malian Central Administration and at the UN system. He has also had to manage multiple and often unplanned tasks in hostile regions on the security and climate plans in northern Mali. Dr. Dembele has more than 12 years of professional experience in fields related to the coordination and management of projects in Mali in development programs, disaster risk management and humanitarian affairs. More recently, he has work within the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection, including in the development of security plans, emergency organization plans as well as contingency plans and implementation of the RRS (Security Sector Reform) and security governance in Mali.
Marilyn Mbogua
Regional Lead - Africa
 GNDR - The Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction

Marilyn is an experienced Program manager with over twenty years of successful and progressively initiating, managing and directing programs by through the implementation of program management functions. She has strong leadership skills in the planning, coordination and management of both humanitarian and development programs and key projects. She has a MSc. in Development, Administration and Planning. Marilyn has extensive working experience having worked in both the humanitarian and development sectors in the areas of coordination, planning of all the training programmes and initiatives with focus on disaster risk management and resilience sectors among other broad thematic areas. One of her passions has always been on the management and coordination of disaster risk reduction and mitigation measures and its advocacy across all sectors. Marilyn has extensive experience involved having working closely with community based groups focusing on resilience building and capacity strengthening of the community groups. She has also been involved in the development of strategic and business plans for several locally- based associations within the construction sector. She still provides strategic input and expertise advice to them if and when requested for. She also provides mentorship and guidance to graduates who are getting into the development sector.
Philip Keshiro
MD/CEO
 DRI International - Nigeria

Course & Exam Provider for DRI International on Business Continuity, Risk Management for Business Continuity, Business Continuity for Auditors & IT Disaster Recovery. Philip Keshiro has spent 18years in the banking sector, within information technology, having worked in three banks, leaving the banking sector as Head – Information Technology in 2005. He started consulting in Business Continuity in 2008 and presently playing a major role in the private sector. He is an Authorized DRII Instructor and Exam Provider, with exclusive rights in Nigeria for DRI International with rights in other countries. He has been actively engaging the Leaders of the National Emergency Management Agency and State Emergency Management Agencies, while advising and training their top management on business continuity training with individual certification.
Thandie Mwape Villadsen (Panel Chair)
Humanitarian Diplomacy Coordinator
 IFRC - International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Thandie Mwape Villadsen is the Coordinator, Humanitarian Diplomacy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Africa Region. Thandie is a Zambian National, a trained journalist and former UN Diplomat with 20 years international experience in the United Nations in Africa, Asia, Geneva, and New York. Thandie recently worked as global Policy Advisor at the Netherlands Red Cross society/Partners for Resilience Alliance on Climate Change and Ecosystems and advancing disaster risk reduction and community resilience. She is an elected member of the Board of Directors at the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) and a founding member of the UNEP-led Network of African Women Environments (NAWE). Thandie has two master of art degrees in Global Diplomacy and Leadership and Innovation from University of London and York St John University in England, respectively.
Itonde A. Kakoma
IFRC Head of Delegation & Permanent Representative to the African Union & International Organisations
 IFRC - International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Mr. Itonde A. Kakoma has been appointed by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) as Head of Delegation and Permanent Representative to the African Union and International Organizations based in Addis Ababa. Prior to the IFRC, Mr. Kakoma served in various leadership capacities at CMI - Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, including as Head for Sub-Saharan Africa, Programme Director (responsible for Africa), and most recently as Director for Global Strategy. Previously, Mr. Kakoma was Assistant Director for Conflict Resolution at the Carter Center, managing a peace initiatives portfolio and supporting international and regional diplomatic efforts in and between Sudan and South Sudan. Mr Kakoma holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion from Wartburg College in the United States and has pursued post-graduate studies at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He is completing an Executive Master’s degree (LLM) at The Geneva Academy for International Humanitarian Law; and concurrently is a 2020-2021 Global Fellow (Executive-in-Residence) at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.
Dr. Joseph K Kamara
Regional Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs Director,East Africa Regional Office
 World Vision International

Dr. Kamara is the Regional Director, Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs, World Vision East Africa Regional Office where he blends theory and practice in his work. He has previously worked in different countries and regions, across Africa, Asia and Australia. He holds a PhD from Western Sydney University. His and research interest mainly covers disasters and disaster resilience, public health and rights of young people. He is currently collaborating on a project entitled 'Global Health and Evidence-based Health Policy and Practice: Implications for International Development Agendas.’ Dr. Kamara has authored over 20 peer reviewed research pieces and various commissioned reports.
Mare Lo
Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist
 GFDRR / World Bank Group (WBG)

Mare Lo is a Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist at the World Bank, GFDRR, Resilient Recovery Team. He leads trust funds dedicated to strengthening recovery systems, providing technical assistance and financial support for just-in-time post disaster assessments and recovery planning, and promoting knowledge creation and dissemination on recovery and resilience. He currently leads the global report on recovery experiences and lessons learned from the last decade 2010-2020, expected to be published by the end of 2021. With over 25 years of national, regional, and international experience, in various sectors, he is working at the forefront of resilient recovery through the design of proactive strategies and policies and innovative solutions for recovery frameworks and climate change adaptation. Before joining the World Bank Group in 2017, he held several high-level positions with the Government of Senegal and has been International Consultant on DRR/DRM for many international and regional organizations. A Senegalese national, Mare has master’s degrees in Natural Sciences, General Administration, Public Finance, and International relations.
Sean Granville-Ross
Regional Director - Africa
 Mercy Corps

Sean Granville-Ross is the Regional Director for Mercy Corps covering Africa. Granville-Ross has been with Mercy Corps for nineteen years. He first worked with the agency’s team in Kosovo. He also has served as regional director in East Asia, country director in Mongolia, Indonesia and Uganda. He currently is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Mr. Granville-Ross is an economic and agricultural livestock development specialist and a seasoned field leader, with more than 20 years of experience working in both the private and non-profit sectors. Born and raised in Kenya, Mr. Granville-Ross has intimate knowledge of East Africa with specialization in agriculture and livestock production in the tropics. As Regional Director for Mercy Corps, he currently oversees a portfolio of $195 million in complex programming. His guidance and knowledge as Regional Director has helped Mercy Corps advance sustainable and quality agricultural and economic development, pastoralist livelihoods and financial services programs, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, water and sanitation and health interventions, government partnerships and capacity-building across the region. Mr. Granville-Ross has effectively built constituencies between government, civic and private sector actors in support of development goals. Granville-Ross grew up in Kenya and has worked there as well as in the Dominican Republic, the Balkans, Mongolia, Indonesia and Uganda. He speaks English, Spanish, Kiswahili and Indonesian. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Newcastle University and a master’s degree in livestock production from the University of Edinburgh.
Sibongile Mavimbela
Senior Programme Officer - Environment & Climate Change
 SADC - Southern African Development Community

My name is Sibongile Winnie Mavimbela. I am the Senior Programme Officer for Environment and Climate Change under the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Directorate of the SADC Secretariat. I am responsible for the collaboration, resource mobilization and execution of activities under the Climate Change and Environment portfolio, working hand in hand with all 16 SADC Member States, from policy level with National Focal Points, to action level with relevant CSOs. I am guided by the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030 which places emphasis on “Improved management of the environment and sustainable utilization of natural resources.” It also supports enhancement of sector-based approaches towards developing climate change resilience, combating desertification and land degradation, as well as mitigating effects of drought to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality. I believe in the motto that says “just us is not justice” we need to expand our voice to speak to the voiceless, to save lives and to leave no one behind (as stated in the SDGs). I advocate for environmental sustainability not only as work but as a passion/calling. I am driven by a strong sense of purpose and my values include dependability, reliability, loyalty, commitment, open-mindedness, consistency, honesty, efficiency and inclusive cultural diversity.
Robert Kwame Agyarko (Panel Chair)
Lead Advisor - Outbreaks & Epidemics
 African Risk Capacity (ARC)

Mr Robert Agyarko works with the African Risk Capacity (ARC), a Special Agency of the African Union as the Lead Advisor of the Outbreaks and Epidemics programme. He joined ARC from the WHO/AFRO's Health Security and Emergencies Programme, where he worked as the focal person for Strategic Planning, Resource Mobilization and Partnerships. Robert has over 20-years of experience in international development and global health. He has held leadership positions with WHO/HQ, UNICEF, WHO/AFRO, African Leaders Malaria Alliance and The Global Fund. Robert has directly provided technical support to over 20 African countries in disease management and control during his career, including infectious diseases. In 2015 he served as the Technical Advisor to the Incident Commander (Deputy Minister of Health) and the Ghana Public Health Emergency Operations Centre’s coordinator. He holds a Master's degree in Development Studies, a BA in Social Science and a certificate in epidemiology and bio-statistics.
Dr. Ahmed Safwat Elassal
Board Member & Deputy Chairman of the Higher Committee of Healthcare Standards Development & Update
 Egypt - General Authority of Healthcare Accreditation & Regulatory (GAHAR)

Originally a consultant neonatologist with 20 years of experience in healthcare, DR. Ahmed Safwat Elassal has a strong academic and practical background regarding standards development and validation, clinical governance, organizational analysis, strategic leadership, performance improvement, change management and accreditation design & support. He is currently a Board member of the Egyptian General Authority of Healthcare Accreditation & Regulation (GAHAR); Deputy Chairman of the Higher National Committee for Healthcare Standards' development and update; Member of the Egyptian National Committee for the National Clinical Governance Program; and Advisor of the National Saudi clinical excellence program.
Amy E. Cunningham
Associate Director for Strategic Operations - Office of HIV/AIDS
 USAID - Bureau for Global Health

Amy Cunningham served in East Africa from 2000-2020 in various capacities: as a USAID Fellow, and Foreign Service Officer in Tanzania and Uganda from 2000-7, and as a Department of State PEPFAR Coordinator in Uganda 2017-2020. Amy is a former U.S. Navy Journalist, Country Director for ICAP Columbia University’s HIV treatment and prevention program, and Country Director, Project Concern International both in Tanzania, and Policy Director Africa for a generic pharmaceutical manufacturer. She holds an MPH from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus, and coursework in neuroscience and psychology from King’s College London. Amy is a founding board member of a local NGO in Tanzania, co-founder of a global mental health collective and a loving mom of five amazing children! Amy joined the Office of HIV/AIDS in May 2020.
Dr. Emmanuel Agogo
Country Director
 Resolve To Save Lives

Dr. Emmanuel Agogo has more than 20 years’ experience in public health. In his capacity as Country Representative for Nigeria at Resolve to Save Lives, he oversees efforts to prevent epidemics and improve cardiovascular health in Nigeria. Dr. Agogo previously served in leadership roles at Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. He is a subject matter expert on Joint External Evaluation Missions and has practiced primary care and family medicine in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Dr. Agogo holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Ibadan, a Master of Science in Primary and Community Health from the University of Birmingham and a Master of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases with distinction from the University of Liverpool. He is a fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners. He was a 2019 biosecurity leadership fellow at the Centre for health security at Johns Hopkins University Centre for Health Security and is currently one of the 20 pioneer Africa CDC Kofi Anan Public Health leadership fellows.
Oyeronke Oyebanji
Strategy Coordinator/Analyst,COVAX Strategic Coordination Office
 CEPI - Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations

Oyeronke Oyebanji is a public health professional and currently works as Strategy Coordinator for Vaccine Research and Development at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). In her current role, Oyeronke is involved in COVAX, the initiative launched by CEPI, GAVI and WHO to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines around the world. Oyeronke has a Masters in Global Health Policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and is co-convener of Public Health Incubation Hub, a group for young public health professionals in Nigeria.
Najwa Natalie Ayoub
Global Accounts Business Development - Head of UN-NGO & Relief Sector
 Thuraya Telecommunications Company

Najwa Ayoub is Thuraya’s Market Development Manager for the UN-NGO and Relief sector. She is responsible for the development of Thuraya’s NGO and humanitarian business that includes the implementation of marketing strategies, establishment of partnerships and unlocking new opportunities to promote relief communications solutions. She grew Thuraya’s NGO segment by creating partnerships with many humanitarian organizations and formulating a Thuraya Donation Policy that lays down the framework for immediate assistance by the operator to responders and donors during disasters, relief operations and other emergencies. Najwa joined Thuraya in 2011 as its Programs Manager. In this capacity, she managed all the projects within the organization. Her strong project management skills were enhanced through her work to position Thuraya’s verticals internationally - at key events and forums such as the Satellite Show in Washington DC, the National Space Symposium, and the Euroconsult World Summit for Satellite Financing. Prior to joining Thuraya Najwa held various positions in the retail, education and the airline industries of the US and the Middle East. She was in charge of needs analysis, research and development of international accounts using strategic differentiated product strategies and commercial offerings. Najwa has a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree in Information Systems Management from the Southern Methodist University, Dallas – Texas.
Madeleine Kjellevand (Panel Chair)
Partnership Manager UN/NGO
 Bright Products

Madeleine is currently the partnership manager for UN/NGO for Bright Products. She works as the connector between the company and NGOs, working through partners on frame agreements and grants related to the UN. She also works as the primary contact for Norwegian governmental organizations, World Bank (IFS) and foundations who support the UN/NGO sector. She also has previous experience in working with strengthening local community capacity in Uganda.
Amor Chandoul
Logistics Innovation Responsible
 MSF - Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders

At 33 years old, Amor has led and facilitated innovative MSF projects in Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Niger, Mali, DRC, Iraq, Central African Republic, and Kenya. Working within MSF operations, Amor takes part in change management, learning and support to the different teams on problem-solving of complex challenges. Amor collaborates with external peers from other organizations to deliver the best services and/or products to populations in need. Before joining the MSF HQ, Amor worked several years in the field, holding various positions in logistics, with his expertise in disaster and emergency management, especially in insecure contexts where he has grown within the organization.
Dagbjartur Brynjarsson
Program Manager - Emergency Preparedness & Response
 NetHope

Dag has been an active member of ICE-SAR since 1989 and for the last 20 years, he has been specializing in disaster management. Dag was one of the team leaders for ICE-SAR international USAR team from 2008 – 2011 and possess a UNDAC education (United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination).  Dag has been with NetHope now for over 5 years and is today the program manager for Emergency Preparedness & Response. He has been a managing emergencies such as the Syrian Refugee Crisis in Europe, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, Venezuelan Migrant Crisis in Colombia, Peru and Brazil and Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. Dag is a strong believer in preparedness and training, and with NetHope, he has participated in designing and delivering NetHope’s Disaster Response Training all over the world. Dag has a background in telecommunications with Iceland Telecom where he worked for 23 years, having previously been director for Icelandic Search and Rescue Associations Rescue School for over 7 years.
Giuseppe Saba
Chief Executive Officer
 IHC - International Humanitarian City Dubai

Appointed as CEO of Dubai’s International Humanitarian City (IHC) in early March 2017, Giuseppe Saba brings more than 36 years of extensive experience in the humanitarian field with the United Nations and international organizations. Saba is a leading logistics and support services expert. He is the founder of the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot Network (UNHRD); in 2000, he set up under the UN World Food Programme (WFP) the first UNHRD in Brindisi, south-east of Italy, as a consortium of UN Agencies and international humanitarian organizations, including governmental and non-governmental entities. Following the lessons learned from the emergency response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, he developed and expanded UNHRD into the current network by opening hubs and negotiating agreements with various hosting governments in Dubai, Malaysia, Ghana, Spain, and Panama. As a result of his efforts, UNHRD became one of the largest international humanitarian platforms with more than 90 partners operating in emergency preparedness and response. Saba is an Italian citizen and since his retirement from the UN-WFP in 2013, he has served as a consultant to various humanitarian agencies including the Norwegian Refugee Council and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre).
Gorgui S. Diallo
CEO
 PanAfricare

Mr. Gorgui S. Diallo serves as inaugural President & CEO of PanAfricare at the HQ based in Dakar. Prior to that, he was Country Director for Senegal at Africare. He possesses more than 20 years of experience in design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation & management of development programs across Health, Agriculture & Food Security, Micro Enterprise & Micro Finance, and good Governance. Gorgui has led the design & implementation of several health system strengthening projects/programs in malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, Maternal & Child health, and Community Health Policy. He was the principal innovator of ‘Saving Live at Birth Program’ initiated and implemented by Africare in Senegal, introducing innovative solutions such us mHealth and Predictive Modeling for Maternal Death Risk Assessment. He also plays a key role in various Senegal Strategic committees in addition to representing the Consortium of International NGOs in the UN Food Crisis Committee.
Toby Harden (Panel Chair)
VP EMEA
 Humanihut Pty Ltd

Toby Harden is a UK national, currently living in Cornwall. Toby is a retired British Army officer who has benefitted from a full and challenging career with operational experiences across the Globe in various humanitarian, peace-keeping and war-fighting roles. He has been involved across a range of military/civil missions both at the strategic level with Nation Building projects and at the operational level with local community infrastructure developments. With a particular interest in education and developing children’s future, Toby became the Chair of Board of Governors for a UK state school where he helped transform a poor-performing school into a high-performing OFSTED rated school. Previously, he also ran an outdoor activity centre aimed at developing confidence and leadership in teenagers. In 2016, Toby began to work for Humanihut Pty Ltd in a part-time consultancy position as Vice President EMEA. Humanihut Pty Ltd is an award winning Australian based company, initially designed in 2013 as a solution to the growing humanitarian crisis from the Syrian War, aiding the citizens that the conflict was displacing into Jordan and Lebanon. Since then, Humanihut has matured into a complete robust and re-deployable system for field infrastructure and accommodation solutions. In his spare time Toby runs holiday rental cottages, works with a horse rescue charity, and sits on the board of the Campaign for Protection of Rural England (Cornwall).
Dr. Asha Mohammed
Secretary General
 Kenya Red Cross Society

Dr. Asha Mohammed is the Secretary General Designate of the Kenya Red Cross Society. She has over 25 years diverse experience working within Humanitarian and Government institutions. She has served in different capacities within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement including; Movement Partnerships Advisor for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Geneva, Head of Operations for International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Africa Zone office in Johannesburg, Head of Eastern Africa zone office in Nairobi and Deputy Secretary General and Head of Programmes in Kenya Red Cross, among others. Dr. Asha also served as Chair of the IFRC Health Commission at global level and a chair of the RCRC Pan African Coordination Team that is responsible for monitoring of commitments made by African National Societies. Before her role in the Red Cross she served in various capacities in the Ministry of Health and National AIDS Control Council in Kenya.

Dr Asha has been instrumental in reshaping the strategic direction and growth of the KRCS Programming and institutional strengthening especially in building strong Red Cross branches as the fundamental units of delivering the services of the National Society. She is passionate about creating vibrant, authentic, and sustainable communities. She has led integrated and complex humanitarian and development programmes responding to community needs while exhibiting a flair of innovation, inclusion of marginalized groups, environmental sensitivity and emerging issues. She strongly believes that the most successful projects involve meaningful public engagement ensuring community voices are heard. She believes in the power of women and young people. She holds a Master’s degree in International Executive Management, a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Bachelor’s degree in Dental Surgery.
Kayode Fagbemi
Director - Relief & Rehabilitation
 Nigeria - National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

Mr. Kayode Fagbemi is currently the Director of Relief & Rehabilitation at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), previously serving as the Director of Planning Research & Forecasting. He has been with NEMA for the past 20 years. Mr. Fagbemi graduated with B.Sc. Honours in Geography and a Master of Technology (Remote Sensing Application). He also a Master in Disaster Risk Management. He supported the establishment of Centres for Disaster Risk Management in 6 Nigerian Universities and was the Coordinator NEMA-EU Cooperation on Development of Flood Early Warning System. He was at a time the Head of Disaster Risk Reduction Unit at NEMA where he ensured DRR was incorporated into emergency preparedness, response, recovery/reconstruction, and rehabilitation. He equally coordinated the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Organized National Platform for DRR, and the International Disaster Risk Reduction Day in Nigeria as part of efforts at mainstreaming DRR into the sustainable development. He is a Fellow of Emergency Crisis, Disaster, Safety, Environment & Risk Management Institute, International Association of Emergency Managers. He was a member of the first multi-regional project on Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management of the International Visitor Leadership Program of the U.S. Department of State. He is currently the Chairman of 2020 Flood Preparedness, Mitigation & Response Committee for the country.
Maxwell Sibhensana
Regional Humanitarian Emergency Affairs Director,Southern Africa Regional Office
 World Vision International

Maxwell Sibhensana is currently serving in World Vision International, as the Regional Humanitarian Emergency Affairs Director, Southern Africa. He has over 24 years of experience in humanitarian and development work, and management consulting in various countries. He has developed a keen interest in the protection of displaced populations. He has been a member of the global technical working group led by UNHCR on graduation approaches for refugees especially in countries with policies that support local integration. He is currently engaged in dialogues for the local integration of refugees an area critical in Southern Africa where common disasters are climate related with a few countries hosting internally displaced people or refugees.
Adam Bornstein
Lead - Innovative Finance & Systems Change
 Danish Red Cross

Adam leads the Innovative Finance & System Change Team for the Danish Red Cross. Prior to joining the Danish Red Cross, Adam was based in Washington, DC where he was CFO for Ashoka, a foundation that supports social entrepreneurs. Preceding Ashoka, Adam was a Senior Advisor at USAID and led the Innovative Finance team for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. In the past, Adam was Head of Mongolia for International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Before moving into the humanitarian sector, Adam was Senior Vice President with Hong Kong-based private equity fund China Development Industrial Bank where he co-managed a US$1B program. Before entering private equity, Adam founded a venture capital fund in Shanghai, PRC and held roles as a global marco hedge fund trader and equity analyst in New York and Hong Kong.
Esther Shaylor (Panel Chair)
Innovation Specialist - WASH
 UNICEF - UN Children's Fund

Esther Shaylor is a WASH engineer working at UNICEFs Supply Division in Denmark, within the product innovation team. Originally from the UK, she has a Masters in Water and Waste engineering from Loughborough University and previously completed a degree in Disaster Management with Civil Engineering from Coventry University. She has worked in both emergency and development contexts on Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) and sanitation service delivery and more recently on WASH projects that utilise local markets. Her current role focuses on product innovation in WASH and covers vast portfolio from accessible emergency sanitation, to Fecal Sludge Management in emergencies to rapid water quality testing approaches.
Annette Msabeni
Deputy Secretary General - Programmes
 Kenya Red Cross Society

Annette Msabeni is the Deputy Secretary General of Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS). Until her appointment, Annette was the Head of Partnerships at the Society. Prior to that she has held various programme management and senior management positions cumulating 17 years’ delivering Pan-African, multi-country, national and multi-sector programmes in HIV & health, food security & livelihoods, WASH, gender equity, conflict transformation and peace building, risk reduction, disaster preparedness, response & recovery programmes. Annette is multi-lingual (English, French and Spanish) and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Strathmore University, and a Master of Arts in Sociology from Université de Paris IX – Nanterre, and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Nairobi. She thrives on the diversity that her career presents. Experiencing different countries and cultures, thematic contexts, stakeholders, and legal frameworks has always been a personal and professional highlight for her.
Dr. Daniele Lantagne
Associate Professor
 Tufts University

Daniele is an Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tufts University. She is a public health engineer (MIT BS 1996, MIT M.Eng. 2001, PE 2003) who received her Ph.D in 2011 from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She began working in water, sanitation, and hygiene to reduce the burden of infectious disease in 2000, working at MIT and CDC. She completed her post-doctoral work at Harvard's Center for International Development from 2010-2012, and joined Tufts University as a Professor in 2012. Over the past 21 years, she provided technical assistance or conducted research in more than 50 countries in Africa, Asia, and Central/South America in both development and emergency contexts. She has published over 80 papers on water supply, water treatment, hygiene and sanitation in low-income and humanitarian contexts. Her main research interest is how to reduce the burden of infectious diseases by investigating and evaluating the effectiveness of water and sanitation interventions. She runs an active group completing laboratory, field, and policy research with funding from agency, government, NGO, foundation, and private sources. She enjoys rocket ashtanga yoga, cooking ethnic and vegan foods, backcountry hiking, state highpointing, and raising her two children with her husband
Mohamed Bedrealam (Badr) Kazi
Director of Strategic Partnership - Corporate & Government
 Gift of The Givers Foundation

Badr Kazi is the current Director of Strategic Partnerships – Corporate and Government at the Gift of the Givers Foundation. He has been serving under this role since 2014 and is responsible for formalising, strategizing, and executing plans and interventions during periods of disaster, whether it be either natural or human catastrophe. Furthermore, and in collaboration with the organisation’s internal teams, he both develops and manages meaningful relationships within key sectors of government (and its bureaucracy) at provincial, national and international levels. He also coordinates and advises corporations and donors on pertinent strategies in responding to disaster crisis management - encompassing key stakeholder involvement to ensure sustainable outcomes.
John Butterworth
Director - Global Hub
 IRC WASH

John is a hydrologist, WASH expert and Director of the Global Hub at IRC, an international NGO focused on strengthening WASH systems. This involves working with our country teams to promote learning and influencing from local to global scales. He has a particular interest in the resilience of WASH systems including addressing systematic challenges from financing to maintenance or market development and climate risks. John was previously the IRC country director in Ethiopia from 2016-2019.
Kitka Goyol
Chief WASH Section
 UNICEF Ethiopia

Kitka Goyol has over 25 years field-based national and international level experiences in humanitarian and development related WASH programming with strong skills in project planning, designing, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, focused on reducing water related disease like diarrhea among the children and women. He has strong experience of civil service, NGO and UN systems. He has worked in Nigeria, South Sudan, Uganda, Tajikistan, UK, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Israel/Palestine, Lebanon and Yemen among others. Kitka worked in the civil service in Nigeria, WaterAid and Oxfam GB from where he joined UNICEF in Jordan as pioneer Manager of the WASH programme in January 2013. Kitka served as WASH Specialist responsible for Sector Coordinator in Ethiopia from October 2013 to September 2016, and then moved to UNICEF Pakistan as Chief of WASH till 7th December 2018, when he got reassigned back to Ethiopia. Kitka holds a Master’s degree in Water and Environmental Engineering from Loughborough University (WEDC) and a Bachelors in Civil Engineering.
Robin Townley (Panel Chair)
Head of Special Project Logistics
 Maersk

Rob Townley is the Head of Special Project Logistics for Maersk, covering complex and high-risk logistics, supply chain and transport operations on all seven continents. Rob's background is a cross-section of the humanitarian assistance, developmental aid, national intelligence and military special operations communities in the U.S. government, where he spent the majority of his career. His federal service includes tours with all three major US national intelligence agencies and numerous overseas combat assignments in Sub-Saharan and East Africa, Southwest Asia, the Near East and Eastern Europe. After leaving the US Marine Corps mid-career, he managed advanced research & development projects for the US Department of Defense, built and resupplied hospitals in conflict zones across Africa as the COO of a medical non-profit, returned to government briefly to manage US Special Operations Command's Africa desk in Washington DC, and led conservation enforcement efforts across Africa in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade. Prior to joining Maersk, he was the Senior Director for African Affairs on the US National Security Council. He is the global operations lead for Maersk's humanitarian commitment to the United Nations' Logistics Emergency Team (UN LET), and is based in Washington, DC.
Athalie Mayo
Global Logistics Cluster Coordinator
 WFP - Global Logistics Cluster Support Team

Athalie joined the Logistics Cluster in 2019 from WFP’s Supply Chain Division where she worked in UNHRD and most recently bilateral service provision, supporting WFP partners with their logistics and procurement needs. Throughout her time with WFP, Athalie has tried to focus on collaborative approaches to understanding and meeting the needs of all humanitarian actors. Athalie’s professional career began in the British Army specialising in information analysis to support decision making. After some time in the private sector she moved into Field Security where she fulfilled a number of roles for WFP and other UN agencies before transitioning to WFP Supply Chain.
Caitlin Burton
Vice President, Global Health Partnerships
 Zipline

Caitlin is Vice President of Global Health Partnerships at Zipline, where she creates opportunities for governments, foundations, corporations, and development agencies to collaborate to transform health access and quality. She previously led go-to-market activities for Zipline in Africa and India, helping governments and private health services and logistics providers to integrate Zipline into their supply chains. Before joining Zipline, Caitlin led the expansion of an energy access company into new markets across East, West, and Southern Africa before it was acquired by one of the world's largest multinational utilities. Prior to this, Caitlin led product development and go-to-market strategy in the financial services and agriculture sectors in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. She also managed healthcare delivery and emergency response projects in South Sudan and eastern DRC on behalf of Médecins Sans Frontières. The common thread underpinning each of these roles in each of these sectors was the need to solve last mile supply chain challenges that hinder access to essential goods and services.
Shamiso Nyashanu
Regional Health Logistics Officer,Operation Support & Logistics
 WHO - World Health Organisation

Shamiso Nyashanu is currently the Regional Health Logistics Officer, within the Operation Support and Logistics team at the WHO Kenya Sub-Regional Hub (East and Southern Africa). Shamiso’s previous roles include Data Manager and Supply Chain Specialist - Emergency response, Harare, Zimbabwe (Level NOC), Logistics Officer-South Sudan, Operation and Service Provision - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the United Nations World Food Programme, as well as Commodity Tracking and Data Management Co-ordinator /RITA OIC at UN WFP, Monrovia, Liberia. Other experiences include being Hub and Logistics Manager between 2014-2015 at UN WFP Monrovia, and Supply and Planning Rita Logistics Officer, WFP Monrovia, Liberia where he was selected best performance. She also has experience working as the Southern Africa Regional Consortium Supply Chain and Warehouse Compliance Team Leader (donor Reporting) at USAID Durban South Africa Regional Office PRIZE&CSAFE consortium Projects - CARE International, World Vision & ACDI/VOCA., Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, South Africa & Swaziland (NOB).
Tosin Apiriola-Ajayi
Executive Director
WOYODEV - Women Environment & Youth Development Initiative

Tosin Apiriola-Ajayi is a Gender, DRR and Development Expert contributing to initiatives in Policy, Advocacy, and Data analysis for Early Warning Systems, Disaster Risk reduction, Sustainable Energy Access, Health System Strengthening and Community Based Adaptation. She facilitates and coordinates civil society responses and interactions for resulted oriented development dynamics across thematic areas to ensure access, inclusion, equity, and justice. Tosin advocates, mobilizes, and sensitizes women, youth, and communities on various development programs for a sustainable future and as such her work has been geared mainly towards building capacities and resilience of Youth, Women and Communities. She is at present coordinating the EU- European Union funded Views from Frontline (VfL) Project in 15 communities across 3 Southern and 2 Northern zones of Nigeria through the platform of WOYODEV with support from GNDR - Global Network on Disaster Risk Reduction. Tosin has contributed to regional policies and frameworks, recent of which is the ECOWAS Gender Strategy and Action Plan (GSAP) for Disaster Risk Reduction and the 1st Africa Biennial Report on DRR of the AU-Africa Union.
Haman Joda Tabi (Panel Chair)
Executive Director
 GreenAid - One Billion Trees for Africa

Tabi Joda is Executive Director of GreenAid and coordinates the Billion Trees for Africa movement.
He is an expert in Local Communities' Ecosystems Resilience, DRR, and use of Indigenous knowledge in Adaptation; He is an Award winning indigenous Agroforester, Author and Eco - restoration Entrepreneur. He is Winner of 2017 Africa prize for Climate Information Services Innovation by African Climate Policy Center at United Nations Economic Commission for Africa - ACPC-UNECA and winner of President Yuweri Museveni Environmental Award 2017. He is Ambassador for the African Union Great Green Wall initiative, and Africa Forest Land Restoration (AFR100) Initiative.
Cecile Arnaud Lorillou
Urban & Disaster Risk Management Specialist
 World Bank Group (WBG)

Cécile Arnaud Lorillou is a Municipal Engineer and an Agronomist working as a Disaster Risk Management Specialist for the World Bank. She has 18+ years of experience in coordinating development projects to support Disaster Risk Management in developing countries, including projects that aim to strengthen Hydromet Services notably in West Africa and the Caribbean. She has been dedicated for over 11 years to supporting governmental actors and civil society organizations to adapt to the growing effects of climate change, and disasters notably as they relate to urban areas sustainable development and Food security.
Charlotte Norman
Director for Climate Change Adaptation & DRR
 Ghana - National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO)

Charlotte Norman is the director of Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction department in National Disaster Management Organisation of Ghana. She previously worked on Advocacy and Communication as well as an Advocate for Human Rights with Amnesty International, Ireland. She was also involved in the establishment of a Web Emergency Operation Centre at the National Disaster Management Organisation in Ghana. She has been involved in several trainings helping developing various scenarios for simulation exercises internationally and locally relating to both man-made and natural disasters in addition to training over 1000 basic schoolteachers on Adaptation, Mitigation and building resilience to climate change. She is currently an Associate Member of IEMA and the lead technical person for contingency planning for the African Risk Capacity (ARC) and the ARC government coordinator in Ghana and has served as a member in many committees including the National Climate Change Committee which acts as an advisory body to the government of Ghana and the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction committee. Charlotte is a highly motivated official with strong interest in disaster risk reduction measures that reduces the vulnerabilities and improve the resilience of communities. She is a graduate of University of Cape Coast, Ghana, Thames Valley University in Slough UK, and Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Isabella Zouh Tem
Technical Staff
 Cameroon - National Observatory on Climate Change (NOCC/ONACC)

Isabella ZOUH TEM is an Environmentalist with a proven track record of success within the field of climate change, climate forecast at seasonal and sub seasonal level, prediction of climate extreme event, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS). She has been working with the Ministry in charge of the Environment in Cameroon for over 10 years and today is working with the National Observatory on Climate Change (NOCC) since 2017 as an Environmentalist and Cartographer. She has participated directly for the realization of many studies that ONACC has carried out such as the production of Climate profiles for the different regions of Cameroon, Production of Climate Outlooks at seasonal, monthly, and decadal (every 10 day) scales. The Observatory sets out to produce accurate and concise climate services, useful for decision making, in the different socioeconomic development sectors impacted by climate change, notably water resources management, agriculture, energy, and health, as well as the setting up of early warning systems to fight against extreme climate events (floods, drought, heat waves, landslides). Isabella holds a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Impact Assessment, University of Dschang in Cameroon, 2014; a Postgraduate Diploma in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems, African Regional Center for Space Science & Technology Education in English, in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, 2007; and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science, University of Buea, Cameroon, 2003.
Ngozi Amu
Team Leader - Senegambia Cluster & Research/Analysis
 UNOWAS - UN Office for West Africa & the Sahel

Ngozi has over 20 years of experience in political analysis and peacebuilding. She has worked with the United Nations in New York, Addis Ababa and West Africa. She is currently Team Leader in the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), responsible for research and analysis, and several country portfolios. During the last five years, she has led multi-disciplinary programmes to address regional challenges to peace and security. She is currently leading risk assessments in West Africa and the Sahel on the impact of climate change on human security. This involves partnerships across the UN system, with governments, regional organizations and civil society. A special focus is placed on the gender-dimensions of these challenges. Prior to the UN, Ngozi was a staff member at the Ford Foundation. She has a master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University in New York.