PNYX Ltd. - Action on Disaster Relief 2020

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Conference Chair

Ronald H. Jackson
Executive Director
CDEMA - Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency

Mr. Jackson was the Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in Jamaica, a position he held since August 2006 until March 2013. He previously served ODPEM as Deputy Director General, Senior Director of the Preparedness and Operations Division and as Regional Coordinator for the Southern parishes.

He has been extensively involved in disaster management at the national, regional and international level in various capacities. At the national level, he lent his expertise to the coordination of the national response to the impact of Hurricanes Charlie, Ivan (2004); Dennis and Emily (2005); Tropical Depression 16 and subsequently Tropical Storm Nicole (2010) and most recently Hurricane Sandy (2012). He has been instrumental in the development of the Guidelines for Child-Friendly Disaster Management and Response, Reinstatement of the ODPEM Dedicated Communication Network and Revision of the Emergency Welfare Plan. In 2010 Mr. Jackson received a Certificate of Commendation from the Caribbean Community for his contribution to the rescue and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the January 2010 Haiti Earthquake.

Prior to his appointment as Executive Director, he was a member of CDEMA’s Technical Advisory Committee, President of the IDB Caribbean Policy Dialogue Forum, the co-chair for the Inter American Network for Disaster Management and represented the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Member States on the Hyogo Framework for Action Mid-Term Review Committee and Post-2015 Hyogo Framework for Action Committee.

Keynote Speakers

Carlos A. Rumbo
Director General
SINAPROC - National Civil Protection System; Panama

Mr. Rumbo holds a Bachelor and Master’s Degree in Human Resources from the Interamericana University of Panama, in addition to a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education from the University of Panama. In 2016, he participated in the Community Police of the Rio de Janeiro Station, Brasil, having also participated in the National Strategic Development course from the National Defense University in Taiwan. Mr. Rumbo has served as the Chief of Police for the province of Colon (2014-2017), province of Veraguas (2012-2014), province of West Panama (2011-2012), and also served at the Institutional Protection Service (2004-2009).

Alberto Sierra
Director of the Regional Logistics Center of Humanitarian Assistance
CLRAH - Regional Logistics Center for Humanitarian Assistance; Panama

Mr. Sierra has a bachelor´s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Banking and Finances from the Latina University of Panamá. He also has a Masters´ degree in Maritime Business Management in Logistics and Transportation. He has occupied management positions in renowned national as well as international companies. At present, Mr. Sierra is the Executive Director at the Regional Logistics Center for Humanitarian Assistance, where he coordinates actions to strengthen humanitarian logistics operations of the National Civic Protection System of Panama (SINAPROC), the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD), all located within the Center.

Mayte Gonzalez Sanchez
Regional Advisor for Latin America,Country Programming Division
GCF - Green Climate Fund

Mayté González is an environmental policy specialist who collaborates with government and non-government entities to advance climate change and development initiatives. After spending nearly two decades working in environmental projects, Mayté knows how to engage strategic partners to achieve environmental and social benefits: It’s how well you translate sustainable development into concrete results for people and organizations, engaging partners from different sectors and scales. Mayté has collaborated with environmental organizations, including Wetlands International, UN Environment and CAF. She is currently Regional Adviser for Latin America of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Mayté is a Lawyer and holds a Masters in Industrial Management from the Technology University of Panama.

Speakers

Arq. Walter Monroy
Sub. Secretary of Risk Reduction Management
CONRED - National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction; Guatemala

Walter René Monroy Valenzuela is an architect from the University of San Carlos De Guatemala and has a Master's Degree in Risk Management with a Social Approach from the University of San Pablo De Guatemala. He is currently the Deputy Secretary of Risk Reduction Management of the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) of Guatemala. Walter has 9 years of work experience in integral management for disaster risk reduction, mainly within post-disaster recovery, and has led emergency recovery processes such as: Seismic swarm in Santa Rosa; Tropical Depression 12-E; Earthquakes of November 7, 2012 and July 7, 2014; Sliding in El Cambray 2; Seismic events in 2017; Eruption of Volcán de Fuego on June 3, 2018; Sliding in Ciudad Peronia, Villa Canales, Guatemala. Walter is also an official member representing Guatemala in the Central American Region Recovery Technical Evaluation Team.

María Veronica Bastias Gonzalez
Regional Coordinator for LAC
GNDR - Global Network of Civil Society Organisation for Disaster Reduction

María Verónica Bastías is an expert in International Cooperation and Development, has a degree in Architecture, and studies in Anthropology at the Catholic University of Quito (Ecuador). She holds a Diploma in International Cooperation from the Alberto Hurtado University (Chile); Development Studies at the University of Oslo (Norway); specialization in Housing and development at the University of Medellín (Colombia); and studies in Social Sciences research methodologies at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) of Quito. Based on her knowledge and commitment to work with the most marginalised groups, Mrs Bastías was invited to participate in the High-Level Panel on DRR with a Local Perspective in Sendai, Japan in March 2015; in May 2016, invited as a panellist within the Closing Plenary of the Global Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey; and in the GPDRR 2019 was part of the expert panel gathered in the Working Session about Sendai Framework Implementation. She has been a Parliamentary Consultant in Chile and Ecuador on Economic and Territorial Development Issues, Indigenous Peoples and Gender Equity. She was Representative of the NGO of International Cooperation, Norwegian People's Aid for South America, between 1994 and 2004, with Headquarters in Chile and then in Quito, Ecuador. Currently, she is also part of the Regional Advisory Group of the coming Americas Regional Platform.

Giorgia Testolin
Programme Unit Chief
WFP - UN World Food Programme

Since June 2018, Giorgia Testolin has served the Regional Bureau for Latin America & the Caribbean, based in Panama, as senior programme advisor and is responsible for the technical support and oversight of the programme implemented in the framework of the Country Strategic Plans of the twelve countries in the region. Previously Ms. Testolin gained her programme experience in Ethiopia as head of the refugee programme (2010-2014), in Djibouti as head of programme (2007-2009), and as emergency preparedness, response and cash-based transfer regional advisor in the same office in Panama (2014-2017) where she also supported the response after the earthquake in Ecuador (April 2016), and deployed in Haiti and in the eastern Caribbean Islands in response to hurricanes Irma and Maria (September 2017). Before joining WFP, between 1998 and 2001, she worked in the former Yugoslavia: in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1998) with UNDP, in Kosovo with an Italian NGO (1999), in Serbia and Kosovo as independent electoral observer for the Council of Europe in 2001.

Lilia Blades
Project Manager
GSC - Global Shelter Cluster

Architect and regional planner, I am the focal point for shelter cluster coordination in Latin America and the Caribbean within the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Before joining the movement, I worked at the United Nations, municipal governments, NGO’s and the private sector in Latin America, Asia, Europe and Africa, mostly managing projects in urban development and capacity development. Areas of expertise include climate change adaptation, urban planning, disaster risk reduction, capacity development and partnerships development. I am currently part of the Working Group on Shelter Vulnerability Classification within the Shelter Cluster.

Charles H. Keys (Panel Chair)
CEO
Wave Water Works LLC

Much life experience and work has brought entrepreneur, author, civil rights and climate activist Wave Water Works’ CEO Chuck Keys and the Oscillo Drive to the space where he now exists. Since 2012, he has been an important player, respected water energy expert and spokesperson. This ADR2020 invitation stems from the Oscillo Drive’s repeated exposure in the Caribbean, across the United States at every major port and or municipality, in the media (local, national and global), and his support from the Michigan Business Accelerator Fund, Michigan Economic Growth Institute, Michigan Israeli Business Bridge (MIBB), Brazil’s Federal Institute of Pernambuco), and his long collaboration with Oakland University School of Engineering and Business Incubator.

Walter Cotte Witingan
Americas Regional Director
IFRC - International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Walter has served over many years in a range of positions with the Colombian Red Cross including: Services Coordinator and Field Services Instructor, Head of Search and Rescue Team, Member of the Regional Board of Directors, Operations and Relief National Director, and finally as Chief Executive Officer. He has been a consultant to the United Nations (UNDRO, INSARAG/USAR and UNDAC), and served as IFRC Disaster Manager in Asia-Pacific. In 2013 Walter was appointed IFRC Under Secretary General for the Program Services Division in Geneva, responsible for management oversight of humanitarian response, risk reduction, health, logistics and migration at a global level. In mid-2015 Walter took up the post as IFRC’s Americas Regional Director.

Over the past 10 years Walter has been deeply involved in the formulation of policies, processes, programs and projects for Disaster Risk Management, Climate Change, Water and Sanitation, Livelihoods and Settlements, Shelter and Income Generation, and has led more than 50 international missions as an expert in global disaster management.

Tim Callaghan
Senior Regional Advisor
OFDA - USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance

Tim joined USAID/OFDA as a Washington, D.C.-based disaster mitigation specialist in May 2000. He joined the LAC regional office team as a regional advisor in September 2001 and became the LAC senior regional advisor (SRA) in May 2003. As SRA, Tim is the lead USAID/OFDA representative and has overall management responsibility for response and preparedness activities in the region. He oversees a team that includes four regional advisors, a communications officer, administrative and accounting support staff, and personnel from the USAID/OFDA Regional Disaster Assistance Program, which includes a technical director, two information officers, and a network of 29 disaster risk management specialists located throughout the region.

Before joining the LAC regional office, Tim worked with USAID/OFDA in Washington, D.C., managing the Central American Mitigation Initiative to reduce the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters. His international development and disaster experience also includes five years in the Dominican Republic and five years in Ecuador working for the U.S. Peace Corps. Tim has served as a U.S. Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) leader in responses for Georgia Civil Strife (2008), the Haiti Earthquake (2010), Haiti Cholera Outbreak (2011), Liberia Ebola Outbreak (2014), Sierra Leone Ebola Outbreak (2015), Ecuador Earthquake (2016), Caribbean Hurricane Matthew response in Bahamas, Jamaica, and Haiti (2016), Chile Fires (2017), Peru Floods (2017), Caribbean Hurricanes (2017), and the Venezuela Regional Crisis (2018).

David Andrew (Drew) Strobel
Surge Delegate
American Red Cross

Drew has been working with American Red Cross International Services for over 17 years and has significant domestic and international experience. Before joining the American Red Cross, he worked with refugees and displaced populations in Africa and the Balkans. Having worked as a volunteer for American Red Cross (ARC) nationally, his first deployment with the ARC was to Guatemala to respond to Hurricane Mitch. He continued with the American Red Cross in Latin America and Asia for another 17 years. His work in Southeast Asia since 2005 included serving as the Senior Field Representative for American Red Cross based in Thailand and covering Myanmar/Burma, Bangladesh for the 2004 Southeast Asia Tsunami recovery operations, as well as Operations Coordinator with the Disaster Management Unit in the Asia Pacific Zone office of IFRC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His next secondment to IFRC was as the Innovation Coordinator working on the Community Engagement and Accountability to Beneficiaries (CEA), as well as Beneficiary Communications (BC) throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Early in 2016 Drew started as the Senior Program Manager/Deputy Chief of Party for the Regional Disaster Preparedness Program (RDAP) in LAC with USAID/OFDA through 2017. He has also worked originally as a volunteer domestically and later as an International consultant with Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) in LAC, most recently assisting their hurricane response in the eastern Caribbean. He currently works out of the Panama Regional Delegation for American Red Cross as a Surge Delegate.

James Barry
CEO
Crossflow Energy Co Ltd

James Barry joined the Crossflow Energy team from Vestas in January 2017 as CEO bringing substantial financial and business experience from the banking and renewable energy sectors. Prior to Vestas Jim worked for over 20 years in the Banking Sector with teams at Barclays, Dresdner, HBOS and UniCredit where he ran various specialist teams focused on both advisory and debt arranging and underwriting activities in the Project & Export Finance sector. His financing experience covers a wide range of infrastructure sectors and geographic regions, but in recent years he has focussed increasingly on the renewable energy sector including time spent with Trinergy, a leading developer and operator of wind farms in Italy and Germany, as Head of Capital Management, helping to develop and secure a €1bn+ refinancing and at Vestas where he specialised in wind farm restructurings and financing arrangements.

Dr. Eric James
Co-Founder/Director
Field Ready

Eric has over two decades of experience leading disaster relief and development projects worldwide. With a PhD in International Development, he is a frequent lecturer on various issues related to disaster aid. In the commercial sector, Eric holds two patents and has been involved in several start-ups relating to technology for frontier markets. He also is the author of numerous articles and several books including Managing Humanitarian Relief and the edited work follow up Managing Humanitarian Innovation.

Simon Gray (Panel Chair)
Senior VP of Humanitarian Affairs
EUTELSAT

Simon Gray is the Vice President of Humanitarian Affairs for Eutelsat and he is also a member of the ITU Advisory board for developing disaster comms strategy world-wide. He has been elected by the other 8 satellite fleet operators to coordinate the Satellite charter with the UN for the satellite industry. Simon coordinates the ESOA and GVF humanitarian working groups. Simon has been elected a Director of the GVF, for over 8 years . He has worked in the satellite industry for over 20 years and while at Eutelsat has been responsible for the largest training program ever undertaken by a satellite operator. His role in Eutelsat has also encompassed developing a new class of satellite terminal, equipment approval, mobile Apps, training courses & training tools. His team has also been responsible for overseeing over 350,000 terminal installations across 4 continents and he is the point of reference for the Eutelsat fleet for remote terminal technology.

David Meltzer
Secretary General
GVF

David Meltzer has 30 years of experience in the satellite and humanitarian industries. Mr. Meltzer currently leads GVF which is the largest global trade association for the commercial satellite industry. As GVF’s Secretary General, he leads advocacy efforts on behalf of the industry with national and international regulators while providing members with benefits in areas such as online and classroom training, organizing industry conferences, and leading industry working group. Prior to GVF, Mr. Meltzer served for thirteen years at the American Red Cross leading its international disaster relief and development activities and served as the American Red Cross’ General Counsel for over five years. Mr. Meltzer also served as Intelsat’s General Counsel and Executive Vice President for Regulatory Affairs during a sixteen-year career at Intelsat.

Martin Dolan
Manager - Innovation
Geeks Without Frontiers

Martin draws on a wealth of experience ranging from architecture through international development and emergency response to disaster response technologies. He currently leads the development of a small UK-based start-up tackling the impacts of disasters through connectivity, data analysis and above all strategic global partnerships. At the core of his work is the drive to reduce the digital divide and empower those most affected by the impacts of climate change to build resilience in the face of growing threats. Seconded to Geeks Without Frontiers he is working to bring the benefits of broadband connectivity - health, education, poverty reduction, gender equality and the other UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) - to the estimated 3.5 billion people who remain unconnected.

Jose Luis German
Sub. Director of Information Management
COE - Emergency Operations Center; Dominican Republic

José Luis Germán is a specialist in Risk Management and currently serves as Deputy Director of Information Management within the Emergency Operations Center (COE) of the Dominican Republic. Additionally, he is an instructor at the International Atomic Energy Agency for first responders in radiological and nuclear emergencies, and a member of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team.

Smith Barthelus
Technical Secretary Coordinator
Haiti Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC); Ministry of Interior

Smith Barthélus holds a Bachelor's Degree of Science Policy from the National Institute of Management & High Administration, University of Haiti, and a scholarship of studies from the Organization of American States (OAS) in Brasil, with a specialization in Latin America. Mr. Barthélus started his career as a journalist at The New World (10 years) before devoting himself to public administration as Managing Director in the Senate of the Republic, Office of Social Security. He then joined the Ministry of Interior first as Director of Administration and later as Deputy Chief of Mission as he now serves the Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC). He is devoted to maintaining and strengthening ties between the Ministry and the Technical Directorate, representing the Ministry on planning and safety. Mr. Barthélus works closely with the Permanent Secretary ensuring national institutions raise efforts for risk reduction on all programs.

Lt Col Anton Gash (Panel Chair)
Defence Attache Caribbean
UK Ministry of Defence (MoD)

Lieutenant Colonel Anton Gash is the British Defence Attache for the Caribbean, based in Kingston, Jamaica. He is responsible for 14 countries across the Caribbean (Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago) plus the 5 UK Caribbean Overseas Territories (Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks & Caicos Islands). He is a tank commander by background and also an specialist in Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence. He has previously served as Defence Attache/Advisor in South Asia (Sri Lanka and Maldives) and West Africa (Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Togo and Mali), and has also worked with the European Union in Brussels. His operational deployments include Iraq and Afghanistan with the British Army and Cyprus (UNFICYP) and Mali (MINUSMA) with the United Nations. He has been in post since March 2017, and in 2018 was responsible for coordinating the initial deployment of British Forces to the Caribbean in response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Radm Jean Hausermann
Commander
French Armed Forces in the West Indies

Vice-admiral Jean Hausermann, born 23rd December 1965, entered the Naval Academy in September 1986 and obtained the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) certificate in 1994. He is a 2003-2004 graduate of the 11th class of the War College in Paris and a 2011-2012 graduate of the 63rd session of the Italian Defense Higher Studies Institute in Rome. Throughout his distinguished career, VA Hausermann headed ASW department on board Helicopter Carrier Jeanne d’Arc, and ASW destroyer de Grasse, served as Commanding Officer of the corvette Commandant L’Herminier (2002), Executive Officer of destroyer Dupleix (2006-2007), and also serving the FR Joint Combined HQ for two years. He was integrated in the Carrier group staffs, on board the aircraft carriers Foch and Charles De Gaulle, involved in the planning of naval operations and air operations over Afghanistan. In 2008, VA Hausermann was appointed to the French Military Representation to the EU in Brussels, overseeing the organization of EU operation ATALANTA before taking command of destroyer de Grasse in 2009, and becoming Captain Career Management within FRA Navy CNPers as military assistant of the Deputy CHOD for joint operations, in Paris. Since 2017, as a flag officer, he is Head of Planning & Logistics of the CPCO, Joint Staff in Paris. In August 2019, VA Hausermann became Commander of French forces in the Caribbean. His decorations include the grade of Officer of Légion d’Honneur and Commander of ordre national du Mérite.

COL David Strauss
Chief - Civil Affairs Planning Division J-7/9
SOUTHCOM - U.S. Southern Command

Colonel David A. Strauss enlisted in the US Army in 1983 as a Military Intelligence Voice Interceptor. After serving 7 years, he received a Green to Gold scholarship and attended the University of Tennessee at Martin, receiving a commission as a Lieutenant of Infantry in 1993. In 1999, he successfully completed Special Forces Detachment Officer Qualification Course and was assigned to 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Upon promotion to Major in 2004, he was selected to become a Civil Affairs Officer, which he remains to this day. As a Civil Affairs Officer, Colonel Strauss has served as Operations Officer for the National Civil Military Operations Center – Iraq, Brigade Civil Affairs Officer (S-9) for 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Future Operations Officer (J-35) as well as Operations Officer for Central America at Special Operations Command – South, Division Civil Affairs Officer (G-9) for 1st Cavalry Division, Commander of the 98th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), and Team Chief, Deployable Training Team, The Joint Staff. In his current assignment at US Southern Command, he is the Chief of the Civil Affairs Planning Division, J-7/9. Operational deployments include Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama in 1989, Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR/JOINT GUARD in Bosnia in 1996, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan in 2002, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM in 2004 and again in 2006, and Operation UNIFIED RESPONSE in Haiti in 2010.

Nicolas Louis
Coordinator for the Caribbean - Disaster Preparedness Expert
ECHO - European Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid Operations

Nicolas Louis currently serves ECHO as Coordinator for Latin America & the Caribbean, as a Disaster Preparedness Expert and has done so since 2018. Previously Nicolas served as Head of Office in Myanmar, Haiti, Chad, and Southern Sudan (2006 – 2018), Head of sub Office at OCHA in Sudan (2000), Logistics & Security Officer at WHO in Angola (2005), and Team leader, Head of Mission & Emergency Expert at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Paris, Zaire & D. R. Congo, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Latin America Emergency Office, Congo-Brazzaville, Iran, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda, Angola, Bangladesh, and Mozambique (1989-2004). Nicolas holds a Master’s Degree in International Development, IFAID Aquitaine, Bordeaux, a Higher Degree in Political Sciences, Université Lumière, Lyon, and a Post-Master’s Degree in International Trade, Université Antilles-Guyane, Guadeloupe, France.

Col Jacques O'Keefe
Canadian Defence Attaché for the West Indies
Canadian Armed Forces

Colonel O'Keefe completed his basic military engineering training in 1988. His combat engineering appointments include: second in command of 58 Command and Services Squadron, Regular Staff Support Officer with 35th Combat Engineer Regiment, command of 55 Support Squadron, 58 Command and Services Squadron, 52 Field Engineer Squadron and from 2006 to 2008 command of 5th Combat Engineer Regiment. His staff appointments at the operational level include: G3 Staff Officer in Land Forces Québec Area Headquarters, Executive Assistant of the Deputy-Commander of the Canadian Army, J Engineer with Canadian Expeditionary Force Command and from 2013 to 2018 Assistant Chief of Staff Engineering / Chief Engineer NATO Allied Land Command in Izmir Turkey. His staff appointments at the strategic level include: Staff Officer with J3 International and J3 Engineer Operations, Director Plans Western Hemisphere in the Strategic Joint Staff, Chief of Staff Canadian Forces Intelligence Command and Director Defence Security (Policy, Training and Awareness) and starting in summer 2019, Canadian Defence Attaché for the West Indies region in Kingston Jamaica.

Francisco Quesada (Panel Chair)
UNHRD Manager
UNHRD - UN Humanitarian Response Depot / WFP

Mr. Francisco Quesada has a degree in Law and Mater in International Cooperation for Development. Since December 2015, he has served as Manager of the UNHRD Panama, most recently completing a 5 month mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo supporting WHO during the ebola outbreak (Dec 2018 - May 2019). Previously, Mr. Quesada has worked as Advisor of the Cabinet of the Secretary General of International Development in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain; Advisor on International Development of the Popular Party Group at the Spanish Parliament; Director of the NGO Kivuvu; Project Manager and expatriate in Humanismo y Democracia Foundation; Project and Logistics Manager in the NGO Action Against Hunger, Volunteer in NGO Manos Unidas; Independent Consultant in the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; Editor Assistant in the newsletter Eurosur in Brussels; Assistant at the Information and Communication Department in IBF in Brussels; and Internship at Directorate General X - Multimedia Library at the European Commission in Brussels.

Fabiano Franz
Response Director Venezuela
World Vision LAC

Fabiano Franz serves the World Vision LAC Regional Office as Response Director Venezuela. He has in-depth knowledge of development, humanitarian assistance and best practices particularly in relation to child rights. Fabiano is an innovative and visionary leader who knows how to resourcefully manage all programming in a country, resulting in lasting improvement in the lives of people. His experience in leading humanitarian assistance and development programs includes education, health, economic development, child protection, food security and humanitarian and emergency affairs. Fabiano possess 13 years of experience in senior leadership positions, including SMTs, Boards and Advisory Councils, and senior roles in formulating strategic direction within an international development context. He is also experienced in raising funds across a variety of donors, including bilateral government funding, multilateral government funding, corporations, foundations, and individual private donors.

Imad Malhas
CEO & Founder
IrisGuard UK Ltd

Imad Malhas co-founded IrisGuard in 2001, headquartered in Milton Keynes in the United Kingdom with a regional office in Amman, Jordan. Imad serves the company as both CEO and CTO executive positions. Imad pioneered the concept of using iris recognition to secure mass-transit across national borders and the large-scale cross-country registration of millions of UNHCR refugees in the Middle East. In 2008, he led IrisGuard's deployment of iris-enabled ATM machines a world’s first, which to date has processed over half a billion dollars in cash without a card or pin. In 2013, Imad launched the development of the EyePay® secure payment delivery platform, the world's first iris-enabled retail POS that has been adopted by the United Nations through the World Food Programme in several supermarkets in refugee camps across Jordan. Imad is the co-inventor on many international patents, an Endeavor Entrepreneur since 2009, in 2018 they awarded Imad the “CEO Today” Europe Award.

Andres Castillo
Regional Sales Director (LATAM)
Planet

Andres Castillo has more than 15 years of experience managing, designing and implementing projects related to the GIS and remote sensing technologies in a very broad range of applications, including government, retail, agriculture and environment among others. He is a civil engineer specialized in Information Systems with an MBA degree from Los Andes University, and a PMI certification. Andres works as the Planet Labs Regional Manager for Latin America, in charge of the business development strategy of satellite imagery products and associated services across the region.

Luz Tantaruna
Regional Emergency & Post Crisis Adviser for Americas
IOM - International Organization for Migration

Ms. Luz Tantaruna of Peruvian nationality, graduated in social sciences and with masters in: 1) Management of Social Projects and 2) Management of Supply Chain in Humanitarian Operations. She has 19 years of experience in emergency operations and reintegration of affected populations in several countries: Mozambique, Angola, Sudan, Iraq and since 2014 in Panama, as regional emergency and post crisis adviser for the Americas.

Tommaso Mussoni (Panel Chair)
Procurement Officer
UNODC on behalf of the UN Procurement Division (UNPD)

Mr. Tommaso Mussoni is a Procurement Officer with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Regional Office for Central America & the Caribbean, which also provides procurement assistance to UNODC Country Office in Mexico and Colombia, and is based in Panama City, Panama. Prior to joining UNODC, he held several posts in the UN including in the Procurement Division at the UN Headquarters in New York, providing support to peacekeeping missions worldwide, the UN Support Office for Somalia, working between Kenya and Somalia, the AU/UN Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), based in El Fasher, Darfur, and the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), based in Khartoum. Before joining the UN, Mr. Mussoni worked in the private sector as Support Services Manager for the German-based sporting goods manufacturing brand, PUMA A.G., based in Milan, Italy. Mr. Mussoni holds a Master’s degree in International Business from the University of Edinburgh, UK and is a diploma holder from the Chartered Institute for Purchasing & Supply (CIPS UK).

Basile Ema Ebede
Regional Senior Humanitarian Manager
Save the Children

Basile Ema Ebede is Save the Children’s Senior Regional Humanitarian Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean. His humanitarian experience spans over sectors like Health, Construction, Food Security and Livelihoods, across the 2004 Tsunami Response and Recovery in Indonesia, cholera epidemics in Chad and Haiti, Ebola Epidemic in West Africa and the Venezuela Migration Crisis among others as a Field Manager and Country Director. He has Master Degrees in Public Health, International Relations and International Public Law. A French citizen, originally from Cameroon, he has worked for several NGOs and for the Red Cross Movement in various positions. He currently provides humanitarian strategic leadership and support to Save the Children’s Country Offices in the region.

Eng. Dayan Lizeth Parra Astudillo
Leader - Water & Basic Sanitation
UNGRD - National Unit for Disaster Risk Management; Colombia

Dayan Lizeth Parra Astudillo is a Civil Engineer and Environmental & Sanitary Engineer, with 5 years experience in preparation and management of emergency response and recovery at the national level, from the occurrence of natural or arthropic events, in water lines and basic sanitation, as in civil work lines through the process of Disaster Management, at its Deputy Direction in the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD). At a national level, Eng. Parra is responsible for strengthening operational entities through agreements or delivery of equipment and monetary transfers; coordinating response related to water sources, uptakes, treatment & water distribution; implementing agreements and commodatum (loans for use), related with the operation of water treatment plants; and implementing and the construction of wells, jagüeyes and productive projects related with water solutions as reverse osmosis technologies for emergencies.

Dr. Jimmy Beaubrun
National Coordinator for ESS
Haiti Ministry of Public Health & Population

Dr. Jimmy Beaubrun currently serves the Haitian Ministry of Public Health & Population at Director of the Emergency Unit. He has been a member of the Haitian Ministry of Health for almost 29 years. Further to his studies at the Haitian Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Beaubrun holds a Bachelor degree in Biology from the City University of New York, and a Master of Public Health from the University of Montreal, Canada.

Claudia Estela Flores
Project Manager,Mission Central America
Action Against Hunger

Claudia Estela Flores, Guatemalan, graduated in Comprehensive Risk Management from the San Pablo University of Guatemala, with studies in History, Anthropology, Strategic Analysis and Planning for Development. She possess more than 20 years professional experience at different levels and institutions of government, civil society organizations, private companies, and territorial and sectoral instances at local, national and regional levels, linked to the issue of development, protection of livelihoods, disaster risk reduction, environmental management, rights-based management, community, sector and territorial strengthening. Ms. Flores has led projects and work teams in emergency interventions for information management, damage assessment and post-disaster loss, characterization of populations at risk, planning of reconstruction processes, advising authorities for the administration of emergency operations centers in the municipal level, habilitation and administration of shelters and collection centers, among others. She currently serves Project Manager "Preparation & Response through Entrepreneurship, Partnerships and Innovation in Central America".

Marie-France Bourgeois
Senior Programme Adviser
UNICEF - UN Children's Fund

Marie-France brings over 20 years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian settings in difficult environments, such as DPRKorea, DPRCongo and Pakistan. She is a national of Canada and holds a Master’s Degree in Social Planning for Development, Gender and project management studies. During her career, she has managed and strengthened UNICEF global engagement to the European Union (EU) Institutions and the 28 EU Member states in Brussels which has resulted in influencing policies for children, positioned 45 country offices and advocated through tailored advocacy and two major digital communication campaigns which have resulted in an increase of funding. She has also led the roll out of the Clusters and Pool Fund while coordinated the humanitarian country team in drafting of HRP and has drafted several Guidelines, including on Needs Assessment, Proposal Revision and Food distribution. She was a member of the team who created the first Emergency Response Training at WFP. Marie-France has been based in two West African countries, in Tanzania (Refugee response) in Great Lakes, Asia, New York and Geneva. She is currently acting as the Chief, Regional Emergencies a.i. at the UNICEF Regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean.