Our approach

As Finance and Controlling Manager, Adam drives DRI's financial controlling processes and manages various corporate finance initiatives, including budgeting, forecasting and reporting. He also supports financial operations for DRI's Digital Democracy Programme, liaising with programme unit colleagues as well as donors. A private-sector finance veteran, Adam has over a decade of professional experience and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder. He holds a Master's in Population and Development from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor's in Economics from Binghamton University in New York State.

As Programme Finance Coordinator, Lorand supports the financial operations of DRI’s Pakistan office and of a regional project in the Middle East and North Africa. He started his career as a chartered accountant and youth worker in 2004, and since then has been working mostly with local and international NGOs in Hungary and Serbia. Lorand holds a Master’s in Romanian Language and Literature and a Bachelor’s in Business Economics and Management.

As Programme Finance Coordinator, Jonche oversees the financial management of DRI programmes in Lebanon and Pakistan. Having worked for over 15 years with international NGOs in Europe, Asia, Africa and Central America, Jonche has gained extensive experience in administration, finance and human resources. Following his studies in Telecommunications, Jonche specialised in finance and is currently pursuing a diploma in International Financial Reporting Standards.

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As Programme Finance Officer, Gerrit supports our country offices in preparing and updating financial reporting. Having completed an internship with the GIZ development agency in Myanmar and then worked in the private sector, before returning to the NGO world by joining DRI. Gerrit holds a Master's in Development Economics from the University of Passau and a Bachelor's in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Tübingen.

As Programme Manager, Paul leads the strategic and programmatic work of DRI across Europe. He has over two decades of experience in the fields of anti-corruption, good governance, human rights and organisational development, including in global and regional roles with Transparency International and as an expert advisor to a range of multilateral institutions, development agencies and INGOs. Paul holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degrees in Law, and a BA in Politics and Philosophy from the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

As Programme Manager, Hannah oversees DRI's strategic and programmatic work across the Middle East and North Africa. Before joining DRI, Hannah worked for the UNDP Regional Hub in Amman, focusing on parliamentary strengthening and constitution-making processes in the MENA region. Hannah holds a Master's in Comparative Politics of the Middle East from the American University in Cairo and the University of Tübingen, and a Bachelor's in Political Science and Arabic Studies from the University of Göttingen.

As Programme Manager, Heather leads the strategic and programmatic work of DRI's Digital Democracy team worldwide. She is responsible for building connections in the digital technology community, advocating for solutions in civil society, private firms, and government. Heather has worked across industries and sectors in the United States and Europe including business development, STEM, policy, research, and non-profit coordination. Heather holds a Master's of Public Policy with a focus on policy analysis from The Hertie School in Berlin as well as a Bachelor's of Science in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.

Oleksandr Iakymenko is the Country Director for Ukraine. He is responsible for overseeing the work of the DRI Ukraine country office. That includes, among other tasks, design, implementation, and evaluation/reporting on DRI Ukraine’s projects, strategic positioning, representation duties, fundraising, and personnel management. Oleksandr has over a decade of experience representing international and intergovernmental organizations, managing non-profits, coordinating various projects, and working in governmental sectors at different levels. Before joining DRI, Oleksandr was a Country Representative for the International IDEA. Oleksandr holds an MA in Political Science from Western Illinois University (USA) and MA in Public Administration from the National Academy of Public Administration, Office of the President of Ukraine.

As Research Coordinator – Rule of Law, Jakub conducts research and analysis on the rule of law and human rights, working with our Europe Team on the re:constitution – Exchange and Analysis on Democracy and the Rule of Law in Europe programme. Jakub has extensive experience in academia, as a researcher at the Adam Mickiewicz University (Poznań, Poland) and lectured at several other universities. He holds a Master’s in Law from Adam Mickiewicz University, where he is currently pursuing a PhD.

As Programme Coordinator, Oumaima coordinates and oversees DRI’s programmes in the Middle East and North Africa. In her role as DRI’s Gender & Diversity Focal Point, she works to streamline gender and diversity sensitivity within our projects and across the organisation. An alumna of the German Bundestag’s International Parliament Scholarship, Oumaima holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Bayreuth with a focus on social movements and protests.

As Programme Coordinator, Wael oversees and coordinates the planning and implementation of DRI programmes in the MENA region. He is an experienced project manager in the democracy field, having implemented projects with political parties and the parliament in Jordan. He also has research experience in political economy and conflict analysis. Wael holds an MA in Governance, Development, and Public Policy from the University of Sussex and a BA in Financial Economics from the Hashemite University in Jordan.

As Digital Democracy Research Coordinator, Jan monitors and analyses political discourse, as well as the use of technology and digital tools for disinformation. Prior to joining DRI, he worked for the German Development Agency GIZ, as well as other non-governmental organisations and consultancies. Jan holds a BA in European Studies from the University of Maastricht and an MPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford and a PhD from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE).

As Programme Officer, Cartney supports DRI's project management, especially on Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and fundraising. As DRI's MEL focal point, he advises on the implementation of DRI's MEL strategy and development. He previously worked in the public policy and human rights sector at Brazil's Public Prosecutor's Office, where he graduated in Law. He holds a Master's degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from Magdeburg's Otto-von-Guericke University and International Business and Economics from the Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences.

As Digital Democracy Programme Officer, Lena conducts research on hate speech and disinformation in the digital sphere, focusing on democratic processes and election monitoring online. She also delivers social media monitoring training and is responsible for implementing outreach strategies and activities. Before joining DRI, she worked as a lecturer in Communication Science. She holds a Master's in Political Communication from the University of Amsterdam and a Bachelor's in Media Studies from the University of Regensburg.

As Programme Coordinator, Sorina is responsible for project coordination and fundraising on digital democracy. She also oversees and implements monitoring and evaluation for the Digital Democracy team. Her previous experience includes working with various cities and non-profit organisations in the Netherlands and Romania on initiatives on media and digital literacy as well as good governance. Sorina holds a Master's in International Relations and a Bachelor's in American Studies from the University of Bucharest.

As a Research Officer for the re:constitution project, Nino tackles the rule of law challenges in the EU, including issues related to the independence of the judiciary and confrontation of European Courts. Before joining DRI, Nino worked as a senior researcher for the Judicial Studies Institute at Masaryk University, a researcher at the University of Oslo, and Ilia State University. She also worked as a legal advisor at the Ministry of Justice of Georgia. Nino holds a Doctorate in Law from the University of Oslo and an LL.M. degree from Central European University and Leiden University.

Richard Kuchta is a Policy Officer at DRI's Digital Democracy team. He supports the team´s work on online political discourse and the implementation of related projects. Richard´s focus is elections, political communication online, extremism, and disinformation. Previously, he worked as Analyst at Institute for Strategic Dialogue and as Project Coordinator at Globsec’s Democracy & Resilience Programme. Richard also collaborated with Reset.tech and Pattrn AI.

Richard holds an MA in Political Science from Université Libre de Bruxelles, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Vienna.

As Outreach Officer, Dennis is responsible for designing and implementing DRI's outreach strategies. He also monitors developments among relevant international institutions and actors. Before joining DRI, Dennis worked in communications and public policy at PubAffairs Bruxelles after completing a traineeship in the Democratic Governance Department of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. Dennis holds a Master's in Democracy Studies and a Bachelor's in Political Science and German Philology from the University of Regensburg.

As Digital Democracy Research Associate, Beatriz supports the Digital Democracy team on projects related to the role of social media in elections and new online threats to democratic discourse. Before joining DRI, she worked as a recruitment lead for politicians in Brazil, and as a communication consultant. Beatriz holds a Master's of Public Policy with a focus on policy analysis from The Hertie School in Berlin as well as a Bachelor’s of Public Administration from the Fundação Getulio Vargas in São Paulo.

As a Digital Democracy Data Analyst, Anastasiia is responsible for the social media monitoring project in Ukraine. Prior to joining DRI, she worked as a data analyst for a market research firm, Ipsos, and then as a statistician/model validator for Citibank. Anastasiia's background includes a bachelor's and a master's degree in Political Analysis. She is currently completing her master's degree in Data Science at University of Tübingen. 

As Programme Development and Resource Mobilisation Expert, Maliha leads DRI's fundraising efforts globally and supports the team with proposal writing, donor management and relationship cultivation. Maliha holds an LLB in International Law (with Human Rights) from the University of Hull and an MA in Humanitarian Action from Ruhr Universitaet Bochum and University College Dublin. Maliha has over 7 years of experience in resource mobilisation across 6 countries.

As Digital Expert, Sandra supports DRI's digital transformation approach, liaising with finance and programme unit colleagues to develop and implement strategies to optimise organisational processes from an IT perspective. Prior to DRI, she worked in the private sector and has over a decade of professional experience in project management, marketing & administration. During her studies, Sandra volunteered in various positions in democratic youth work and was a founding member of the student communications agency Politikfabrik e.V. She holds an MSc in Political Science from the University of Potsdam.

As Human Resources and Administration Working Student, Deniz assists the team regarding DRI’s recruitment processes, office management, event planning and further development regarding HR related topics. Prior to DRI, she has mainly worked in communications and social media. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Sociology at Berlin Free University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Istanbul Bilgi University.

As Human Resources and Administration Officer, Gizem manages DRI’s human resources process, day-to-day office management and recruitment. Prior to DRI, she worked in HR in the private sector and in project management for several NGOs in Turkey, including the Flying Broom Women’s Research Association. Gizem holds a Master’s degree in Sociology with a focus on European Societies from the Free University Berlin and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Bilkent University, Ankara.

As Communications Coordinator, Albert oversees DRI's communications and outreach efforts, guaranteeing a consistent message and visibility across headquarters and country offices. Before joining DRI, he worked in communications at Club de Madrid and as a freelance journalist for outlets such as La Vanguardia, Euronews and Are We Europe. Albert holds a Master’s in European Integration and a Bachelor’s in Journalism, both from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. 

As Communications Officer, Matteo supports the Communication Coordinator in site management and content production for DRI's digital channels. Before joining DRI, Matteo worked within the Strategic Communications Team of the European Training Foundation, the EU agency for vocational training, among other experiences. Matteo holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from UNIUPO, a Master's degree in Political Journalism from the University of Genoa and an MBA in EU Project Management from Brussels.

Kilian Bälz is an international lawyer with more than two decades of experience working in the Middle East and North Africa. Among his clients are international companies, financial institutions, development agencies, governments, and NGOs. Based in Berlin and Cairo, Kilian has been active in the field of law reform for many years and is particularly experienced in working in fragile countries. He also represents clients in arbitration proceedings and advises on trade sanctions and business and human rights. Kilian studied law and Middle East studies at the universities of Freiburg, Berlin (Dr. iur. FU), Damascus, Cairo (AUC) and London (LL.M., SOAS) and was a fellow at Harvard Law School. 

Icelandic, has held a number of positions with the OSCE and the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs, focusing on communication on democracy and human rights. With a background in journalism, she was a spokesperson for the OSCE Missions in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina and for the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). In charge of press and communication for the Icelandic MFA for over a decade before returning to the ODIHR as a senior advisor to the Director. She is now back with the Icelandic MFA.

Sameera is the Director of Networking and Alliances at WINGS, previously working at the Charities Aid Foundation. Sameera has worked with partners in several countries to increase giving and build the resilience of civil society. Her previous work experience includes setting up an NGO in Canada, a twinning project in India and consultancy projects for several NGOs. She has also worked in the banking sector's leadership, project management, and change transformation roles.

Ghassan Moukheiber is a lawyer, a former Member of Parliament in Lebanon (2002-2018), and a human rights and anti-corruption activist. He sponsored the Access to Information Law and followed it through from inception in 2006 to passage in 2017.

British. Over thirteen years of experience in law, democratisation and elections. He was Team Leader of the EU Democracy and Election Support Mission to the Afghanistan Presidential Elections 2004 and has also observed numerous elections for the EU and OSCE/ODIHR, including recently as Deputy Chief Observer for the 2006 parliamentary elections in Palestine and presidential elections in Yemen. With wide experience of conflict resolution in the Balkans and Caucasus, Richard has also acted as an independent technical adviser to the National Election Board of Ethiopia. He previously worked as a barrister.

German, holds masters degrees in International Human Rights Law (M.St. Oxford) and European Studies (M.A.). Eight years experience as election observer and core team member in various missions of the OSCEand the EU including the United States, Indonesia, Kenya and Georgia. Television journalist presenting daily news and the current affairs programme “Global 3000“ on DWTV, Germany’s foreign broadcaster.

German, lawyer, PhD in public international law, co-founder and former executive director of Democracy Reporting International. He is the head of the Global Policy Programme of the Ecologic Institute, a leading think tank in environmental policies, based in Berlin, Germany; he is member of the management board of the Ecologic Institute. He worked for the German Federal Ministry of Environment, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the EU as Legal and Election Expert of various Election Observation Missions. He practiced law as an attorney in Berlin and Frankfurt.

U.S. American. Duncan has extensive experience with constitution making in the Arab world, including as DRI’s former country director in Libya. He holds graduate degrees in law from Stanford University and in public policy from Harvard University.

Belgian, with some twenty years of work experience in the fields of democratisation and conflict resolution in the MENA region, Africa, and Asia. Geoffrey’s conflict resolution record includes field experience with Search For Common Ground and the United Nations in mediation, track two dialogues, and the use of media as a tool for coexistence. In the democratisation sector, he opened and/or led multiple programmes in third countries and from Brussels for the European Union and INGOs in support of actors of democratic transitions such as civil society organisations andpolitical party members. He is a seasoned political and election expert and participated to election observation missions or election reform projects for the European Union, The Carter Center, DRI and the National Democratic Institute. Geoffrey co-authored DRI reports on Morocco, Sudan, South Sudan, Pakistan and Tunisia. He holds a Master degree in international politics of the Middle East (MSc, SOAS). He is a free lance consultant based in Brussels.