GLOBAL FAIRNESS INITIATIVE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Ambassador Ronis is currently an independent business and NATO consultant. Mr. Ronis has served with distinction in the Latvian diplomatic service since its re-establishment in 1991 after Latvia restored its full independence. His civil service to Latvia has included multiple leadership positions within government including as Latvia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Transportation Minister, and Deputy Secretary for Foreign Affairs. He has also had a robust careering representing Latvia as a diplomat in the Foreign Service, holding positions as Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador to Mexico, and Ambassador to Turkey, as well Latvia's Ambassador to NATO in Brussels. Ambassador Ronis has worked actively in Latvia's private sector since his government service, and serves as a consultant to multiple companies and organizations representing Latvia's interests and promoting investment and engagement in Latvia's public and private sector. Early in his career Ronis was a TV journalist and a Latvia youth chess champion.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Executive Professor at the George H.W. Bush School of Government
Since 2012 Andrew S. Natsios has served as Executive Professor at the George H.W. Bush School of Government at Texas A&M University, and since 2013 been Director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs. He was Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University from 2006-2012 and former Administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2001-2006. He serves as Co-Chairman Emeritus of the Committee on Human Rights in North Korea, a research center in Washington DC. He also served as US Special Envoy to Sudan in 2006-2007 to deal with the Darfur crisis and the implementation of the North South Sudan peace agreement. Retired from the US Army Reserves at a Lt. Colonel after twenty-three years, Natsios is a veteran of the Gulf War. From 1993 to 1998, he was vice president of World Vision US, the international non-governmental organization. Earlier in his career, Natsios served in Massachusetts State Government as a member of the House of Representatives in Boston for 12 years and later as Secretary of Administration and Finance, the chief financial and administrative officer of the Commonwealth. He also served in 2000-2001 as the CEO of Boston's Big Dig, the largest construction project in American history, after a cost overrun scandal.
He is the author of three books: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1997); The Great North Korean Famine (2001); and his latest book, Sudan, South Sudan and Darfur: What Everyone Needs to Know, published in 2012 by Oxford University Press, and has contributed to 13 other books, including two on North Korea. His areas of research are in food security, famines, human rights, foreign aid, humanitarian assistance during civil conflicts and natural disasters.
Asha began at GFI in 2020, and is focused on helping connect services to underserved communities. Prior to GFI, Asha served as an Americorps Volunteer at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) for 2 years working with refugees, then continued as a Case Worker, assisting in creating women's empowerment groups, promoting health and safety, and forwarding economic development. She has also gained valuable ethnographic field work experience in collecting and analyzing qualitative data through her work in India and through her post-graduate studies. Asha holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Brigham Young University and a MSc in Sociology from the University of Oxford.
Job Titles:
- Regional Director
- Economist from Tunisia
Asma Ben Hassen Darragi is an economist from Tunisia. She holds a postgraduate degree in economic sciences and is working on a doctoral thesis showing the relationship between regional development strategies and employment, particularly for young people. She has ten years of experience in higher education, where she specialized in macro and microeconomic issues in labor economics, project management and evaluation, and business creation. Her work focused on creating sustainable economic development through the promotion of self employment and entrepreneurship. Asma has also worked as a consultant, diagnosing needs and developing training programs for various Tunisian companies.
Job Titles:
- Program and Technical Officer
Mr. Adhikari is an experienced professional with skills in program design, implementation reporting and monitoring evaluation. He has more than 5 years of experience in various organizations in both the international and domestic sectors. He has also served in various capacities for GFI but currently is working as a Program and Technical Officer. In the past he also led a Korean Pilot project entitled "Eco Friendly Bricks" in Nepal.
He is at the forefront of creating innovative methods of managing the technical components of the BBN program. He has been actively involved in research and development to strengthen the quality in bricks supported by social system for the gradual sectorial change.
Mr. Adhikari has a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from Tribhuwan University in Nepal and is pursuing a Master's Degree in Business Administration and Finance.
Caleb is Executive Director of the Global Fairness Initiative (GFI), an organization committed to creating more just and equitable economic and labor conditions working poor communities around the world. Before joining GFI, Caleb was founder of Tidewater, an initiative supporting the growth and impact of NGOs and foundations on the forefront of international development. During his 6 years at Tidewater, Caleb worked with clients around the globe on initiatives to help vulnerable communities gain access to essential services, knowledge and financing. Prior to Tidewater, Caleb served on the White House staff of former President William J. Clinton and on the leadership team of New York University's Wagner School of Public Service. He has also held senior positions with the Corporation for National Service, the International Broadcasting Bureau and the Democratic Presidential Campaigns of Senator John Kerry and Barack Obama. A native of Washington, DC, Caleb attended the University of Pennsylvania and the College of Wooster and received his degrees in English Literature and Political Science.
Job Titles:
- Creando Tu Futuro Program Coordinator
Camila has multiple years of project management with the last four years focused on social impact, managing projects with annual budgets of one million dollars, impacting approximately 60,000 beneficiaries per year on issues such as gender empowerment, education, economic development, and employability, among others. She received her degree in Marketing from Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano and Master´s candidate in sustainable develpment projects from Universidad EAN.
Dr. Danilo Türk served as President of the Republic of Slovenia from 2007 to 2012. Dr. Türk was the first the Slovenian Permanent Representative to the United Nations and served as non-permanent member of the Security Council as well as a member of UN Human Rights Committee. Later he was appointed UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs before returning to Slovenia where in 2007 he was elected as the third President of Republic of Slovenia where he served until 2012. A former professor and director of the Institute for International Law of the University of Ljubljana, Dr. Türk served on the Constitutional Commission of the Slovenian National Assembly co-wrote the human rights chapter of the 1991 Slovenian Constitution.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Guinea
Guinea's former Prime Minister is a well-known banker in the African continent and a former director at the African Export-Import Bank in Cairo, Egypt. Mr Komara is currently the High Commissioner of the Organisation for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS). Born and raised in North Guinea, Mr. Komora belongs to the Maninka ethnic group. After studying management in Guinea's capital Conakry, and then abroad in France, the United States and Egypt, he began his banking career at Crédit Suisse, Zurich, in 1975. Rising in business and government, he was appointed to the Guinean Conseil Transitoire de Redressement National ruling council in charge of Economic Planning & Cooperation in 1990. He also served as Assistant Director for Personnel in the Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée and as director of the Alumina Company of Guinea Aluminum works at Fria. When he was appointed Prime Minister, he chose not to belong to any political party and formed a government drawing together soldiers and technocrats, an unprecedented case in Guinea's history.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Executive Vice President of Government Relations & Corporate Responsibility for Caesars Entertainment, Corp
Jan Jones Blackhurst is Executive Vice President of Government Relations & Corporate Responsibility for Caesars Entertainment, Corp. In that capacity, she oversees all worldwide government affairs, corporate communications, community relations and corporate-social responsibility programs for the $9 billion corporation. Prior to joining Caesars in November 1999, Jones Blackhurst served two terms as Mayor of the City of Las Vegas. She was the city's first woman chief executive, and among the most popular mayors in its history, having won reelection in 1995 by a 72 percent margin. While in office, Jones Blackhurst presided over an unprecedented period of economic, social and cultural expansion, one in which the city's population increased 66 percent, making Las Vegas the fastest-growing major metropolitan area in America throughout much of the 1990s. Today, she is a member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Women's Leadership Board at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She sits on the board of directors of Nevada Public Radio, the Women's Campaign Fund in Washington, D.C., and is a member of the Gaming Law Advisory Board at the UNLV Boyd School of Law. She is also a member of the Human Rights Campaign's Federal Club and of Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood. In 2012 she was appointed the Vice Chair of the Clark County Public Education Foundation. Jones Blackhurst graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in English.
HE Kabine Komara (Guinea)
Job Titles:
- Regional Director
- GFI 's Latin America Regional Director
GFI's Latin America Regional Director, Jessica Yarrow, has been in Guatemala since 1997 working for human rights organizations supporting local initiatives to improve labor rights, access to justice, economic development and to end human trafficking. She also has experience interpreting and translating for visiting funders and academic groups. She holds a master's degree in International and Intercultural Management from the School for International Service and a B.A. in Spanish/Latin American Studies from American University in Washington, DC.
José María Figures served as President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998. He was the youngest President of a Central American country in modern times. During his tenure he created a comprehensive Sustainable Development strategy through investment in human development and the implementation of innovative environmental policies. Prior to serving as President he was Costa Rica's Minister of Foreign Trade (1987-1988) and Minister of Agriculture (1988-1990). Has also served as President of the Carbon War Room and has been a leading voice behind the Paris Accords and international climate cooperation.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the Board of Directors
- CEO and Co - Founder of Blue Star Strategies
Karen A. Tramontano is the Founder of the Global Fairness Initiative (GFI), a non-profit organization working to promote a more equitable, sustainable approach to globalization to ensure its benefits reach all people, including the working poor. Before founding GFI, Ms. Tramontano served as Deputy Chief of Staff to President Clinton and counselor to two Chiefs of Staff, Erskine Bowles and John Podesta. Ms. Tramontano's White House portfolio encompassed a wide range of issues, including international trade, transatlantic relations, as well as economic and financial issues involving the U.S. Treasury and Commerce Departments. She played a major role in shaping policy concerning the WTO, OECD and other multi-lateral institutions, while handling public policy issues involving the World Bank and the IMF. Other specific accomplishments include spearheading the successful White House initiative to bring the Child Labor Convention into law and leading the team that developed the Comprehensive Steel Plan to rationalize global steel production. Additionally, she managed many of President Clinton's international trips, including his visits to India, Pakistan, and Viet Nam. In 2001, she served as Chief of Staff for President Clinton's transition, where she established his office and presence in New York.
Ms. Tramontano is currently the CEO and co-founder of Blue Star Strategies, LLC, which provides corporate, institutional and public sector clients with results-oriented strategies. Prior to founding Blue Star Strategies, she was a Principal at Dutko Worldwide, where she developed comprehensive multi-level government advocacy strategies for complex global issues. Ms. Tramontano also currently serves as Senior Advisor to Guy Ryder, Director General of the International Labor Organization in Geneva, is on the Board of the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law School. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Catholic University Law School and a B.A. from Boston College, and is a frequent commentator for Bloomberg News.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Head of Corporate Finance at National Grid Plc
Katerina Tsirimpa is currently Head of Corporate Finance at National Grid plc, one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world. She manages a portfolio of strategic funding activities across the UK and US playing a vital role in delivering gas and electricity to millions of people. Katerina has global experience across a variety of complex corporate and asset financing transactions spanning over thirteen years' progression within the world's leading energy companies. She previously held positions in BP plc, a multinational oil and gas company, driving structured finance solutions for energy projects in the EMEA region. Throughout her career, she pioneered innovative solutions to complex funding issues promoting new ways of thinking. Katerina was born in Athens, Greece where she studied International Politics. She also holds M.A. in European Politics & Policies and M.Sc. in International Business Economics, both obtained from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium where she subsequently started her career in European Institutions before moving to UK for a consulting role. Katerina's academic credentials finally include attending the Executive Corporate Finance program from London Business School.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Lamia Senousi is the former Global Head of External Communications at the London Business School, where she oversaw a team of public relations and government affairs experts in London, New York, Dubai and Hong Kong. Senousi was previously a Global Communications and Strategic Partnership Leader at EY (formerly Ernst & Young), where she worked under the former Secretary of State for Finance in Spain and led the development and implementation of a global communications and partnership agenda for the Global Climate Change & Sustainability Practice. Previously, she worked at Deloitte, LLP in London and at PR Newswire. She was also the Campaign Manager & Election Agent in 2015 for the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Cities of Westminster and London. Senousi has served in a number of advisory roles, including as a Communications Advisor to the Womanity Foundation, and Policy Development Director for the International Self-Care Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Finance and Human Resources Manager
- Expert
Mr. Arjun Giri is an expert in finance and human resource management with more than 13 years of professional engagement in various agencies. He also has extensive experience in the areas of logistics and procurement, grant and compliance management, and internal control systems, all in humanitarian, development and private business settings. Currently, he works for GFI Nepal as the country office's Finance and Human Resources Manager. Before GFI, he worked with the Dolma Impact Fund (DIF) for 13 years as their Operations Manager and Impact Coordinator. Prior to this, Mr. Giri worked with the UNDP Nepal Country Office as an Administrative and Finance Officer for 3.5 years. He also served as a Senior Finance Officer at Save the Children and the Swedish Regional Office for South and Central Asia based in Kathmandu, Nepal. On several occasions, he was seconded to different SAARC country offices.
Mr. Giri has a successful track record of managing high value projects funded by multiple partners and donors. He has participated in various national and international training and exposure visits related to his domain of expertise. Mr. Giri is also a certified ERP and Audit facilitator. He is a global roster member of UNDP/BCPR New York and US based Tetra Tech's International Progress Services. He has an MBA in Finance and an MA in Sociology and Anthropology.
Nancy Donaldson served from 2010 to 2017 as director of the Washington office of the International Labor Organization (ILO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. She was the ILO's liaison to the United States government, U.S. employers' and workers' organizations, the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group and other multilateral and international finance institutions. Donaldson has advised governments, nonprofits, labor unions and corporations on government and public affairs for over 25 years. Earlier in her career, she was a vice president at Dutko Global Advisors representing corporations, governments and NGOs. She also worked for AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and served as director of legislation at the Service Employees International Union under President Andy Stern. Donaldson holds a BA in communications from Baldwin Wallace University and a JD from Emory University Law School.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- United Kingdom
Nik Slingsby works as a lawyer and helps the Legal Action for Women Network which provides free legal service for low income women advising on domestic abuse and parental custody issues. He is also involved in the People to People Project building accommodation and sanitation facilities for refugees in Calais. He has a degree in Mandarin Chinese and Economics and has spent a number of years living and working in Asia.
He was the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Cities of Westminster and London in 2015 and Chairman of the Westminster Constituency Labour Party.
Ms. Purnima Singh Chhetri specializes in carrying out all aspects of project planning and management, which has given her an excellent reputation in the field of development. She has extensive experience in developing project scopes and objectives, specifying deliverables, and coordinating efforts to completion.
Ms. Chhetri brings a wealth of experience in the development field of more than 9 years with expertise in child protection and women's empowerment. She has also successfully managed projects on trafficking issues, livelihood support, education, and social business. Along with this she has experience in managing large and multi-stakeholder development projects. She began her career as a social worker and evolved into positions including senior program manager and board member of well-acclaimed NGOs in Nepal.
She has a BA degree in Social Work and a MA in Sociology from Tribhuvan University and a MA in International Cooperation and Development from the University of Pavia, Italy.
Rania has worked with the Global Fairness Initiative for the past four years, ensuring GFI's technical operations and financial management in North Africa. Rania holds a B.A. in Finance and M.A. in Monetary Banking and Economics. She has held numerous positions at Tunisian Banks, and gained valuable leadership and project management experience during her time as a member of AIESEC. Rania also participated in Young Arab Voices, a debating program focused on equipping young Tunisians with skills to promote peace and tolerance in post-revolutionary Tunisia. As a YAV master trainer, she trained hundreds of students and CSO members in debate.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Founder and Chairman of the Board, and Chairman of the Founders Committee of the International Water Bank
Rashad Shawa is Founder and Chairman of the Board, and Chairman of the Founders Committee of the International Water Bank - IWB Holdings. Mr. Shawa also serves as Chairman of the Board of Mai Resources International (Switzerland) AG, and is a Member of the World Water Council in France, and of the Arab Water Council (Egypt). A Senior Executive and International Banker, Mr. Shawa has held a number of positions on the Executive Board and Head of the Middle East of several International Banks in the UK and Switzerland. He was also formerly the Chairman of The International Organization of Private Bank owners and was a Senior Advisor to Bank Privee Edmond de Rothschild. Mr. Shawa serves as a Member of the Board of a number of regional and international institutions and companies, including as past a Member of the International Advisory Board of Babson College in Boston, USA, the world's number one university for business leaders and entrepreneurs. He also currently sits on the Board of Medurable in France, the International Organization focused on sustainable development goals, climate change and water resources management.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Rebublic of India
Reema Nanavaty has been working with the Self Employed Women's Association - SEWA - for over 35 years, expanding its membership to over 2.1 million members, making it the single largest union of informal sector women workers in the world. In her role at SEWA Ms. Nanavaty facilitated rebuilding the lives and livelihoods of 6,0000 earthquake-affected rural women and 40,000 riot-affected members. She leads the rehabilitation programs in Afghanistan, and has helped train over 5,000 Afghani women on livelihood skills and facilitated facilitating the creation of a local Association of SEWA. Similarly, she has led the rehabilitation program for war-affected widows in Sri Lanka, providing over 6,000 rural women with vocational training to secure their livelihoods. Ms. Nanavaty facilitated rebuilding lives and livelihoods of 6,0000 earthquake-affected rural women and 40,000 riot-affected members. She is leading the rehabilitation programs in Afghanistan, and helping train over 5,000 Afghani women on different livelihood skills and facilitating the creation of a local Association. Similarly, she has also led the rehabilitation program for war-affected widows in Sri Lanka, providing over 6,000 rural women with vocational training to secure their livelihoods.
Ms. Nanavaty oversees 4,813 self-help groups (SHG), 160 co-operatives, and 15 economic federations in 16 states in India and in 7 South-Asian countries. These collections focus on women's economic empowerment by building women owned enterprises, building women led supply chains, introducing modern ICT-based tools to improve businesses, and facilitating Green-Energy initiatives and livelihoods. In 2003 Ms. Nanavaty was honored with the fourth-highest civilian award the Republic of India, the Padma Shri, for her contribution in area of Social Services. She is currently the member of the Advisory Council on Gender of the World Bank Group. Ms. Nanavaty was also a member of the International Labour Organization's High Level Global Commission on Future of Work, and the only member of the commission representing the informal sector workers, women workers, self-employed workers, and the rural workers' union. In addition, she served as a member of the Working Group for the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy and as a Gender Lead in the working group for the UN's Food System Summit, and was one of the only worker's representative invited to speak alongside UN secretary General Antonio Gueteras at the UNGA's Official Opening Ceremony of the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Human Resources Officer
Mr. Sameer Singh Saud is skilled in the areas of finance, administration and human resources. He has worked with GFI since 2016 in various capacities and currently he is working as Finance and Human Resource Officer. Moreover, he is engaged in operating-level finance, reporting, and monitoring of finance and administration. He has been responsible for managing GFI operations in terms of financial management, policy implementation, and general administration. He has a Bachelor's Degree in management and is pursuing a Master's Degree.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program and Communications Officer
Samyukta Bhandari is a social and human rights activist based in Nepal. She has been actively involved in the field of social work since 2007. She has been primarily involved in the movement for sustainable change in brick sector of Nepal. Samyukta has been engaged with GFI in Nepal since 2013 and played a major role in creating a base for research of brick kilns of Nepal. She has worked in the child development sector since 2007, when she began her career with educating marginalized young females. In particular, she has utilized her in-depth experience in humanitarian affairs to ensure that those at risk have access to basic services such as sanitation, education, health facilities and good working conditions.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Sarah Fox is internationally recognized for her work on labor issues in the United States and throughout the world. As Special Representative for International Labor Affairs at the US Department of State 2015 Ms. Fox led the Department's effort to promote workers' rights and improve economic security and working conditions for workers abroad; liaise with the global labor movement, U.S. and multinational companies, and other stakeholders on these issues; and, support and strengthen the labor diplomacy function at American embassies worldwide. In this role she was critical in ensuring that American foreign policy and programs advance internationally recognized labor rights and improve living standards across the globe.
Prior to her appointment to the State Department, Ms. Fox served as legal counsel to the AFL-CIO and as the AFL-CIO's representative to the International Labor Organization (ILO). From 2010 to 2015, she was a member of the ILO Governing Body and of its Committee on Freedom of Association. She previously served in government from 1990 to 2000, first as Chief Democratic Labor Counsel to the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, on the staff of Senator Edward M. Kennedy (1990-1996), then by appointment of President Clinton as a Member of the National Labor Relations Board (1996-2000). Prior to that, she was counsel to the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Union and was a reporter at the Courier-Express in Buffalo, NY, where she grew up. She is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School.
Suresh Pandit has two decades of experience in governmental and international agencies. He worked at the United Nations in Nepal in technical and management positions in the development and humanitarian spheres. He also served at UNICEF Nepal (2015-2018) as the head of a sub-national office and managed 2015 earthquake multi-sector response and recovery programs. He also worked with the UN Resident Coordinator's Office (2010-2015), assisting with development and humanitarian coordination. He has also aided in the development and implementation of United Nations Development Assistance Framework and enhanced government and UN capacity for disaster preparedness and response.
Prior to the UN, he was Monitoring and Evaluation and Advocacy Manager to the Norwegian Refugee Council (2007-2009) and served on the Social Welfare Council (2000-2007) as assistant director. He also has consulting experience with USAID, IFRC, Government Ministries, and INGOs. Mr. Pandit is from the Tanhun district, Gandaki Province in Nepal and holds Masters degrees in Business Administration and Human Rights.
Bill Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001, an era in which the U.S. enjoyed more peace and prosperity than at any other time in its history. Since leaving office, President Clinton has continued his work on many of the issues that defined his administration, including world trade, the economic empowerment of the poor, and the fight against AIDS around the world. His active involvement in issues of public concern is evident in his work of various foundations and organizations such as the Clinton Presidential Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Zohreh Tabatabai is a familiar face in the diplomatic and global business arenas, having spent many years in high profile positions in the United Nations (UN) system. As the chief coordinator of the UN's Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration, she created new strategies for assembling publicprivate partnerships to assure the success of the event, and she coordinated the activities of more than 100 heads of state who travelled to New York to participate. During her 20 years at UN headquarters, Ms. Tabatabai also served as Focal Point for Women and as Chief of the Public Services Section. Throughout her tenure, she pioneered methods for bringing in outside partners to work on extending the UN's visibility and effectiveness across a broad range of initiatives. In the year 2000 Ms. Tabatabai moved to Geneva to take up the post of Director of Communication and Public Information at the International Labour Organization, the Geneva-based UN agency that promotes rights at work. Upon leaving the United Nations System, she created a communications and marketing company with special emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). She undertakes various CSR projects for a number of Global companies. Ms. Tabatabai currently serves on the boards of a number of non-governmental organizations, non-profit institutions and charitable foundations.