Experts

PhD, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Nick Drager - former Director of the Department of Ethics, Equity, Trade and Human Rights and Senior Adviser in the Strategy Unit, Office of the Director-General at the World Health Organization - is Honorary Professor, Global Health Policy at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; Professor of Public Policy and Global Health Diplomacy at McGill University; and Senior Fellow, Global Health Programme at the Graduate Institute, Geneva. His work focuses on current and emerging public health issues related to globalization and health, especially global health diplomacy/governance, foreign policy and international trade and health. The policy related, research and training activities of the work programmes he leads are designed to contribute to enabling policy makers and public health practitioners to analyse and act on the broader determinants of health development, to better manage and shape the global and national policy environment for health and to place public health interests higher on the global development agenda to improve public health outcomes. He has extensive experience working with senior officials in developing countries worldwide and major multilateral and bilateral development agencies in health policy development, health sector analysis, strategic planning and resource mobilization and allocation decisions and in providing advice on health development negotiations and in conflict resolution. He has deep experience in global health diplomacy and high level negotiations on international health development issues. He has represented WHO at international events and conferences, serves as chair, keynote speaker at numerous international conferences; he lectures at Universities in Europe, North America and Asia; and is the author of numerous papers, editorials, and books in the area of global health and development. He has an M.D. from McGill University and a Ph.D. in Economics from Hautes Etudes Internationales, University of Geneva.

MANAGING DIRECTOR, SECRETARIAT, INTERNATIONAL RISK GOVERNANCE COUNCIL

Marie Valentine Florin graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris in 1980, and then achieved a post-graduate diploma in marketing strategy from the same institute. She spent the first part of her career in an international socio-cultural research and marketing consulting firm, acting there as group finance director and chief operating officer. More recently, Marie Valentine studied sustainable development and environmental diplomacy. Before joining IRGC, she was working as a consultant on promotion and implementation of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility programmes.

SENIOR RESEARCHER, SMALL ARMS SURVEY PROJECT

Nicolas Florquin is a Senior Researcher at the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project based at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. The Small Arms Survey serves as the principal international source of public information on all aspects of small arms and as a resource for governments, policy-makers, researchers, and activists. Mr. Florquin's areas of expertise include private securityy companies, armed groups and other types of armed non-state actors. He is co-editor with Eric G. Berman of the book Armed and Aimless: Armed Groups, Guns and Human Security in the ECOWAS Region. Mr. Florquin previously worked with the Swiss NGO Geneva Call, where he was actively involved in dialogue with armed non-state actors aimed at improving their compliance with humanitarian norms, notably the ban on anti-personnel mines and the protection of children in armed conflict. Mr. Florquin has also carried out a number of consultancies on arms-related issues for international agencies, including the UN Panel of Experts on Liberia and UNDP country programmes in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Ghana, and Niger. He holds a Masters of Public Administration in International Management and a Certificate in Conflict Resolution from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, United States.

EXPERT IN INTERNATIONAL AND EU NEGOTIATION, CENAD.

Following a life-long professional career dedicated to the Federal Civil Service of Austria (1979-2004: employment policy), interspersed by international assignments such as with OECD, Paris (1992-1994: know-how transfer schemes for Central and Eastern Europe at senior level). Brussels as Minister Plenipotentiary at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union and chairing actively during the 1998 Austrian EU Presidency, and Senior Advisor at the ILO Sub-Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe, Budapest (2004-2007: transnational policy development projects, 11 countries in South Eastern and Eastern Europe), Franz Gundacker has devoted himself exclusively  to capacity-building with a predominant focus on international negotiations as a CENAD Associate specialized in International & EU Negotiation seminars in the following areas:
•    EU Negotiations and Council Presidencies (Brussels as well as in-service/ in-country for the Presidencies of the Czech Republic, Sweden and Poland.
•    Public Administration (Germany)
•    Diplomatic training (Bern, Brussels, Prague)
•    Central bank negotiation training (Frankfurt, Riga)
•    U.N. and Intergovernmental Organisations (Geneva, Manila, Quito)
Furthermore, Franz’s has extensive public-private negotiation experience given his civil service and consulting backgrounds and the stakeholders involved.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

SENIOR CRUDE OIL TRADER, GUNVOR INTERNATIONAL

Antonio Marin graduated as MD. Ingeniero de Caminos from the E.T.S. de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid) and PDD by IESE (Universidad de Navarra). He joined the Coastal States Trading Houston in 1985 and ever since he's always been trading crude oil, crude oil products and oil futures in several companies and in different countries. In 2005, he became a co-founder of Castor Petroleum; a trading company specialized in the North and South American crude oil markets. Finally, in 2007 he moved to Gunvor S.A. where he is presently trading as a senior crude oil trader. Antonio also lectured at EPFL (Laussane), Club de la Energia (Madrid),Petroperu (Lima) and Petroecuador (Quito).

SPECIALIST IN GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES, LEIDAR

Lutz Meyer specializes in developing and managing global communications strategies and programmes for both corporate clients and government institutions. He is responsible for leading international communications programmes at LEIDAR. A German national, who has lived and worked in Germany, as well as Dubai and Nicosia and operated from London, Brussels and Singapore, Lutz has spent most of his 30+ year career in agency management and client service positions for leading international public relations consultancies. Previously, he spent 25 years in senior management positions at Weber Shandwick, the world’s leading public relations agency. Most recently he was President of International Operations for the firm, heading up all Weber Shandwick operations outside the United Sates, and working on multi-client and multi-disciplinary programmes for clients including Siemens Mobile, Invesco Europe, Nespresso and Unilever. Lutz has also held various senior management positions with Action Global Communications, an independent public relations consultancy that focuses on the world’s most promising and emerging markets. At Action, Lutz was initially responsible for the company’s operations and client service in the Middle East and then became the company’s General Manager, working with clients such as BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce, British Airways and First Gulf Bank. Currently Lutz directs and manages one of the largest EC-funded communication projects: The ENPI Information and Communications support programme. This involves planning and implementing public relations strategies in the 16 EU Neighborhood countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan).

DEPUTY HEAD, WTO DIVISION, PERMANENT MISSION OF SWITZERLAND TO THE WTO & EFTA

CEO, LEIDAR

Rolf Olsen is the CEO of LEIDAR (www.leidar.com) and a seasoned executive trainer and global communications strategist. Over the last 10 years, he has worked primarily on long-term communications consulting engagements with clients such as Siemens, Nestle, Statoil, Telenor, Yara, Honeywell and MasterCard. During his more than 30-year career, Rolf has been part of the global management team at both leading agencies and Fortune 50 corporations—roles which have provided him with unique senior international experience in communications management, executive coaching and crisis management. Before launching LEIDAR, he was CEO, Continental Europe for Weber Shandwick, the world’s leading public relations company, where he led a team of 1,000+ professionals and managed subsidiaries in Continental Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Prior to that, Rolf was vice president of corporate marketing, communications and public affairs for Motorola, with responsibility for EMEA. Before joining Motorola, he spent 13 years at Digital Equipment Corporation where he managed all aspects of communications at local, regional and global levels. He developed broad level senior management experience early on as member of the European Management Boards both at Digital and Motorola.  He lectures regularly at the Graduate Institute in Geneva. He sits on the Advisory Committee at the Management of Technology and Entrepreneurship Institute at EPFL in Lausanne. He is also a board member at Global Environmental Services and on the advisory boards of several start-ups.

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS, Geneva.

Yasmine Praz Dessimoz holds a B.A in economic science and an executive master in International Negotiation and Policy Making (INP). She joined the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1997. She carried out assignments as delegates in Sri Lanka (1998-1999) and Ethiopia (1999-2000). She acted as coordinator for program in favour of detained people in Yugoslavia (1998-1999) and Ethiopia (2000-2003) and she assumed various management positions, including deputy head of delegation in Iraq (2003-2005) and head of Darfur operations in Sudan (2005-2007). From 2008, she served as deputy head of operations for the West and Central Africa region and was appointed political adviser to the Direction of Operations at the end of 2008.Her responsibilities included, among others, the analysis of the context, definition of ICRC strategies and action, the setting of priorities, security and human resources management, and ICRC representation towards a wide range of players present in those contexts.

FOUNDER, TEKOA.

Lucette Quarteron is a specialist in communication and management training, executive coaching, and strategic advice.  The subjects of the seminars, among other things, are: Improving your communication skills, managing conflicts, knowing the art of saying no, speaking in public when presenting your project, mastering the art of questioning, sharing a vision and leading into actions, enhancing managerial and leadership skills, and managing your time.

Lucette also is involved in a variety of international projects from public to private organizations, such as: teaching communications to diplomats, to Swiss government representatives, and to federal judges, and creating exchange programs between Chinese tribunals and European tribunals.  She coaches and leads seminars in communications and management to executives and managers of private companies involved in environmental issues, territorial development, Swiss watch making, information technology, architecture, building construction and public transportation.  (Ecotec, Itecor, CITEC, CSD Ingénieurs Conseils SA, Dubois-Depraz, Chemin de Fer Fédéraux-CFF, etc.).

Prior to founding Tekoa, Lucette held top managerial positions in France and the United States in a variety of sectors including the media and telecommunications (France Telecom Group).  She holds degrees from Regent University-Virginia (MA in Communication & Arts), from Institut Supérieur de Gestion-Paris (International MBA including workshops in New York, London, Tokyo and Paris), from Paris-X University (MA in International Economics), and from Transformance Pro Institute (Diploma in Coach & Team Building).

FOUNDER, CENAD

Since 1986, Robert Weibel has designed and led intensive training seminars on international multilateral and bilateral negotiations, including conflict resolution, mediation and chairmanship. From 1989 until 1997 he was a Visiting Associate Professor at the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), Maastricht. In 1998 he founded the Centre for European Negotiation and Decision-Making (CENAD), Brussels.

His portfolio of programmes and seminars has been conducted for EU Member States, the European Commission, Parliament and Council Secretariat as well as accession countries. He has also provided consulting services for United Nations agencies such as UNHCR, UNCTAD, WMO and WHO. His activities have led him to be posted in various cities including Kabul, Cairo and Jakarta. Weibel also conducts diplomatic training activities as well as WTO programmes for African and Gulf States.

Programmes have been conducted for the Deutche Bundesbank and the European Central Bank as well as several large international companies such as Novartis and Nestlé.

EU TRAINING CONSULTANT