Leadership, Strategy & Country Experience

Spanning nearly two decades, my work has ranged from participatory planning with communities affected by displacement, food insecurity, poverty and exclusion to leading strategies, programmes and partnerships across the United Nations system. Combining expertise in international development and urbanism, I apply systems thinking, policy engagement and programme design to support practical change in complex environments. This section highlights selected examples of leadership, strategic impact and country-level engagement across urbanization, food security, displacement and resilience.

Leadership & Strategy

I lead strategies, develop innovative approaches and influence global agendas to advance food security, resilience and inclusive development. My work connects local action with national impact and global goals.

Strategic Leadership

  • Lead FAO’s global Urban Agrifood Systems Programme.

  • Led development of UN WFP’s first Corporate Urban Strategy.

  • Led an interagency service hosted by UNHCR and the Danish Refugee Council.

  • Developed organizational strategies, governance models and donor engagement processes.

Innovation & methodologies

  • Led the EU-funded Urban Recovery Framework for Syria, applied across 22 cities and adapted to Yemen and Ukraine.

  • Created award-winning participatory planning methodologies linking communities with policy and programme decisions.

  • Translated complex urban challenges into practical tools, guidance and action plans.

Strategic Partnerships

  • Led interagency initiatives and consortia with governments, UN agencies, NGOs and donors.

  • Built multi-stakeholder platforms translating evidence into collective action and policy reform.

  • Facilitated partnerships across local, national and global levels to connect community priorities with institutional decisions.

Global Policy & Advocacy

  • Co-led urban recommendations for the UN Secretary-General’s Agenda on Internal Displacement.

  • Contributed to flagship publications and global reports on food security, including SOFI 2023 & GRFC 2025.

  • Shaped global advocacy through steering roles and contributions to GP20, the Global Alliance for Urban Crises, the Human Rights Council and other global platforms.

Country Engagements

Field Experience

Nearly two decades of working alongside communities, governments and institutions in complex development and crisis-affected settings. Across my work on food insecurity, displacement, urban recovery and resilience, I apply a systems approach to understand connections in complex situations, identify practical entry points and turn analysis into action.

Community Engagement

Government Advisory

Participatory Planning

Urban food systems

Urban systems & recovery planning

Capacity development

Multi-level governance

Durable solutions