Meet the staff
ICLEI has over 300 staff in more than 20 offices around the world, offering expertise that positions local and regional governments to advance sustainable urban development along our five pathways.
ICLEI has over 300 staff in more than 20 offices around the world, offering expertise that positions local and regional governments to advance sustainable urban development along our five pathways.
Gino Van Begin has been the distinguished Secretary General of ICLEI since 2013. Before that, he served as ICLEI Regional Director for Europe and as Deputy Secretary General. He has ensured ICLEI performs as a responsible, forward-looking, not-for-profit local and regional government organization serving its Members worldwide. Gino Van Begin graduated with a law degree from the University of Brussels as a lawyer and speaks Dutch, French, English, German and Russian. For more information, please visit his full profile here.
Emani works with all the offices in Asia, to ensure cohesion in implementation of ICLEI’s agendas and spearhead advocacy activities in the region. Emani has a background in environmental management and planning and more than twenty years of experience in climate change policy and planning, local governance, renewable energy, systems management and auditing.
Kobie has more than 25 years of practical and managerial experience in Environmental Management and Urban Development. Her expertise range from biodiversity, climate change, coastal management to urban sustainability and planning. She is responsible for the strategic direction, growth, partnerships, programs and scope of work for ICLEI in Africa. Kobie is also Global Director for ICLEI’s Biodiversity and Nature-based solutions work, and in this capacity heads up the Cities Biodiversity Center embedded in ICLEI Africa.
Nazmul leads the global Resilient Development Team with a mission to ensure mainstreaming resilience thinking in city development policies and actions. Nazmul has more than 10 years of professional experiences in Bangladesh, England and Germany on climate change adaptation, resilience, disaster risk reduction and ecosystem services. He is an urban planner with further academic training in human ecology, ecosystem and sustainability sciences.
The Resilient Development team manages and connects to a variety of topics that fall under the broader umbrella of resilience. This includes urban risk, resilient urban logistics, financing the resilient city, climate insurance urban agriculture and food, smart infrastructure and other issues, in coordination with other World Secretariat and worldwide teams.
Victoria works on the implementation of ICLEI's Resilient Development Pathway with all ICLEI offices. She coordinates global partnerships in urban resilience and climate adaptation. With a background in sociology and metropolitan governance, she has professional experience in projects related to sustainable development, gender, human rights, water and sanitation, and political campaigns and elections.
Cesar leads the analysis of Climate-related data including GHG
emissions inventories; Climate actions; target and monitoring processes
for the carbonn Center at
ICLEI, with a special focus on Quality Control and Completeness analysis
guiding reporting of local and regional governments to the CDP/ICLEI
Unified Reporting System. Cesar is an Accredited Urban GHG Specialist
(ID: 00010772-UGHGIS) and trained in Water Footprint and leads the
Climate Data Team with experience in Multi-level governance and MRV
systems.
The climate data team provides services to local and regional governments tackling climate change and air pollution, guiding their step-by-step approach towards carbon neutrality, energy security, and improved air quality - all leading to multiple and diverse benefits and sectoral impacts. This multi-disciplinary team guides low emission development and action planning, supports greenhouse gas emissions accounting and reporting, improves relevant standards, explores access to finance for cities and regions, and builds capacity on effective multilevel governance to achieve climate targets. To this end, a range of services, tools and guidance are provided, including global platforms to report and seek access to finance, underpinned by climate advocacy to mobilize ambitious, necessary climate action around the globe.
Carla leads on the engagement with cities, states and regions to support their climate-related reporting. She is involved in research and analysis of policies that support climate action and sustainable development. She is an environmental engineer, a certified greenhouse gas inventory specialist, and holds an M.Sc. of Technology and Resources Management.
Laura ensures that reliable climate data and knowledge are available to inform decision-makers about developments and processes to support climate action, including multi-level governance, MRV systems and energy transition towards 100% renewables. She holds a MSc. in Technologies and Natural Resources Management, and she is engaged in supporting climate action at subnational level.
Burcu leads the Circular Development team and coordinates ICLEI interoffice cooperation. With her team, she supports local governments’ journey for making circular economy opportunities a reality through evidence-based prioritisation, development, adoption and implementation of inclusive policy interventions, peer-to-peer exchanges and resource mobilization. Burcu is a senior expert with 15+ years sustainable production and consumption experience in Germany, Asia and MENA. She is an environmental engineer, has a MBA and Msc. in environmental management and policy.
ICLEI’s Circular Development team guides local governments in to embrace circular and sustainable development and shift away from resource-intense models. By prioritizing regenerative resources, preserving what is already made, using waste as a resource and generating new business models, the circular economy helps operationalize sustainable urban development. From policy recommendations and knowledge exchange activities to the development of monitoring and planning tools, we support local circular-focused efforts in an inclusive and practice-oriented manner. The team focuses on collaborative governance, urban metabolism studies, nature-based solutions, city-business engagement and social equity as key entry points to local circular transitions. Learn more
Olga’s work focuses on mainstreaming and promoting nature-based solutions in urban areas through knowledge exchange and advocacy. She has an academic background in sustainability science, GIS, international business economics and psychology.
Rebecca leads the work on urban transitions, social equity and inclusive governance. As part of the Urban Transitions Alliance, she facilitates peer-to-peer learning between industrial legacy cities and coordinates the project’s knowledge creation, cooperation and dissemination activities. Rebecca’s previous experience includes education, curriculum development and research in the field of audiovisual publishing. With her M.A. in humanities, Rebecca advocates to strengthen the citizen focus in sustainable urban development.
With an academic background in environmental management, sociology and economics, Marion focuses on the different tools and methodologies local and regional governments can use to promote cross-sectoral circular projects that benefit all residents. She is currently supporting the city of Turku, Finland, in designing a collaborative circular economy action plan at the regional level. Marion also supports ICLEI regional offices in localizing the circular economy framework and tailoring it to the needs of individual cities.
Ying-Chih work focuses on circular development and sustainable urban transition. At ICLEI, he facilitates industrial legacy cities toward just and sustainable transition. His previous experience includes urban research and public service design at Technical University Berlin, German Development Agency (GIZ), and the Ministry of Culture of Taiwan. He holds a Ph.D., 'Radical Learning' centers on an agile learning process fostering innovations in design education.
Charis manages content development and communication activities for the ICLEI Circulars platform and supports ICLEI's circular development advocacy activities and global efforts to collect needs and priorities from local governments across different world regions. Her previous experience includes engaging stakeholders in the circular economy policy process at European level. She has an academic background in psychology and public policy.
Maryke directs the global low carbon strategy at ICLEI and is the Director of the Bonn Center for Local Climate Action and Reporting (carbonn Center). She oversees global programs and projects, working closely with national and subnational governments on integrated climate action. Linked to this, Maryke also supports ICLEI's global climate advocacy work. Specializing in local climate action, sustainable energy and energy security, she has over 20 years of experience in the field.
The ICLEI Urban Research Team drives evidence-based policy making and science-informed local action through initiating, maintaining and fostering effective collaboration among relevant stakeholders across the globe. The Research Team, through operationalization of the ICLEI Global Research Strategy, strives to scale up collaborative science-based research across all sustainability themes to support subnational governments achieving sustainability goals.
Pourya coordinates the research activities at the World
Secretariat. He manages, supervises, and coordinates research projects for
ICLEI, Chief among them the IFWEN project. Pourya is also the coordinator of
ICLEI Global
Research Strategy.
Graduated from Technical University of Munich and with more
than 8 years of professional experience, Pourya represents ICLEI in
research-related spaces and is a member of GCoM’s Research & Innovation Technical
Working Group.
Rohit leads the Climate & Energy Action Team. He coordinates and manages all activities and projects related to renewable energy and climate action, guiding sub-national governments to achieve climate neutrality. Rohit is a senior energy expert with more than 10 years of professional experience in Germany, India, Scotland and Sub-Saharan Africa. He is an engineer with a background in energy technology and management.
The
Climate & Energy Action team supports subnational governments to
assess, act and accelerate climate and energy action to achieve low
emission development, climate neutrality, localizing NDCs, towards 100%
renewables, ensure energy access, energy security, and SDGs. ICLEI’s GreenClimateCities (GCC) Program is at the heart of this work, with a host of tools and guidance provided to the ICLEI network. Take a look at the Solutions Gateway and join the 100% Renewables Cities and Regions Network where we work with partners on technical and policy guidance.
Felix focuses on low emission development strategies and enhanced air quality in cities. He is ICLEI's global coordinator of the Urban-LEDS II project, a flagship project involving more than 60 cities. With a background in Environmental Risk Management and Sustainable Development, Felix is an apt climate advocate and provides support for enhancing multilevel governance for local climate action.
Karishma supports project coordination, climate research, and communication for integrated climate and energy action, supporting sub-national governments to achieve climate neutrality. She also supports ICLEI’s GreenClimateCities (GCC) Program and the Solutions Gateway. Karishma is experienced in working on sustainable urban energy transition, spatial planning and youth engagement in climate policy. She has a background in urbanism and architecture with professional work experience in the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates.
Eszter manages the Innovative Finance Team within ICLEI's Low Emission Development and Resilient pathways. Her job focuses on unlocking and catalyzing financial flows to local and regional communities. She has 20 years of experience in managing and leading various sustainability oriented projects in different national and international organizations, providing assistance and analytical support to matters related to climate finance. Eszter has a background in economics and business administration.
The goal of the Innovative Finance Team is to catalyze and improve capital flows to cities, towns, and regions and strengthen their capacity to access climate finance and attract investment for their climate resilient and low-emission development. Further to this, through raising awareness and advocacy, the Innovative Finance Team contributes to closing the gap between the availability and the accessibility of climate funds by subnational governments.
Tu My leads the Sustainable Mobility Program at ICLEI, overseeing initiatives towards integrated, socially-inclusive, and environmentally-friendly urban mobility for people and goods. Experienced in partnership building, project management, and workshop facilitation, Tu My has a background in management and international relations. Tu My is proficient in Italian, English, Spanish, and German.
ICLEI’s EcoMobility team supports local and regional governments to provide safe, affordable, accessible, resilient, low-emission and overall sustainable mobility to fulfill the mobility needs of all people and securing a high quality of urban life while respecting the limits of one planet. EcoMobility gives priority to walking, cycling, public transport and shared mobility and helps to reduce the dependency on privately-owned vehicles. EcoLogistics promotes the transportation of goods with minimized impacts on air quality, health, safety, and GHG emissions.
Himanshu leads the EcoLogistics initiative in the Sustainable mobility team at ICLEI, guiding and supporting engagement with ICLEI member cities in the decarbonizing freight sector. He has experience working in sustainable urban design & planning, transport planning, water & sanitation management, and smart cities. He has a background in Infrastructure planning (M.Sc.) and Architecture (B.Arch).
Yiqian supports the sustainable mobility agenda at ICLEI. She works with cross-functional teams to support cities to transform the urban logistics scenes and plan for people-friendly and socially inclusive mobility options. Yiqian has a background in public administration and global studies, and has previously worked for NGOs in the fields of sustainability, climate change and European policies.
Sina supports the EcoLogistics Community project in the Sustainable Mobility team at ICLEI. Her previous professional experiences include transportation consulting, policy research and business development in the fields of electrification, automation, and shared mobility. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Mobility Management from the Technical University of Berlin and a BS in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University.
Alonso supports the EcoLogistics initiatives in the Sustainable Mobility team at ICLEI, advocating for a more sustainable freight sector. He has experience working in the consulting and public sectors in the fields of urban and sustainable development. He holds a Masters in Urban Policy from Sciences Po Paris and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México.
The Administration team deals mainly with internal services for all teams within the ICLEI world secretariat and also acts as the access point for all external inquiries. They look after stock keeping, replenishment and procurement of all kinds of office equipment as well as inventory, keys, job tickets, telephone and mail. Facility management, safety and security in the building are also part of their duties. They logistically prepare meetings and coordinate all kinds of processes and procedures in the office environment.
Jamie is responsible for the Administration team and works closely with the Human Resources department. He is the first point of contact for internal and external queries, and supports the organization and maintenance of the World Secretariat building. Jamie has 14 years’ experience working in legal, medical and personal administration. Previous employers include Byrne Wallace Solicitors and The Irish Medicines Board (HPRA)
Julia is part of the Administration team and works closely with the Human Resources department. She supports the team with internal and external queries, as well as the organization and maintenance of the World Secretariat building. Julia has a background in administration for telecommunications companies and non-profit associations.
Carmen leads the finance and controlling at ICLEI. She is responsible for the accounting and project statements, as well as preparing the annual accounts and accompanying the project exams. Through her expertise, Carmen has represented ICLEI in this position for several years. She previously worked for a German professional association.
The Finance team oversees all of ICLEI’s accounting processes and financial project reporting. It ensures the books are in order for the Annual Financial Statement and the financial deadlines for all projects are respected.
Yasmin supports the Finance & Controlling team at ICLEI in the financial project controlling and budgeting and also supports Capacity planning. She has a background in business administration. Yasmin has experience in business and personnel management and also in project budget planning.
Gino Van Begin has been the distinguished Secretary General of ICLEI since 2013. Before that, he served as ICLEI Regional Director for Europe and as Deputy Secretary General. He has ensured ICLEI performs as a responsible, forward-looking, not-for-profit local and regional government organization serving its Members worldwide. Gino Van Begin graduated with a law degree from the University of Brussels as a lawyer and speaks Dutch, French, English, German and Russian.
Sunandan leads the implementation of ICLEI’s global projects and coordinates joint fund-raising at the global and regional scales, fostering collaborations among ICLEI’s offices and partners. He provides strategic guidance on circular development and sustainable mobility, as well as on general program, organizational, and partnership development. Sunandan is a trained ecologist with extensive experience on urban resilience planning and financing, biodiversity management, urban-rural dynamics, and a spectrum of other sectors in the rural domain.
Eva directs the coordination between the Communications, Knowledge Management and Membership & Governance teams, as well as leading the global membership policy and governance engagement. As Chief of Operations, she also ensures the effective management of internal procedures and steers joint initiatives among the World Secretariat teams. Eva's 15-year experience also includes a background in human resources and talent management, conference planning and training facilitation, with an education in economics and business management.
Maryke directs the global low carbon strategy at ICLEI and is the Director of the Bonn Center for Local Climate Action and Reporting (carbonn Center). She oversees global programs and projects, working closely with national and subnational governments on integrated climate action. Linked to this, Maryke also supports ICLEI's global climate advocacy work. Specializing in local climate action, sustainable energy and energy security, she has over 20 years of experience in the field.
Yunus leads the global policy and advocacy team at ICLEI. Since 2013, he has led global advocacy towards international bodies and multilateral agreements. Yunus helped establish the Bonn Center for Local Climate Action and Reporting – carbonn – and served as the Director of the Secretariat for the World Mayors Council on Climate Change. He has a background in environmental engineering.
León assists the Secretary General in his priority planning, supporting decision making, and acting as hub for strategic communication with partners, as well as between different ICLEI teams and offices. León has experience in working with cities and subnational governments. He holds an MSc in City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Yunus leads the global policy and advocacy team at ICLEI. Since 2013, he has led global advocacy towards international bodies and multilateral agreements. Yunus helped establish the Bonn Center for Local Climate Action and Reporting – carbonn – and served as the Director of the Secretariat for the World Mayors Council on Climate Change. He has a background in environmental engineering.
The global advocacy and policy team seeks to build an international policy environment that strengthens subnational government capacity and supports urban sustainability and climate action. Through their efforts, the team has helped reshape the global sustainability landscape where subnational governments are recognized, engaged and resourced.
Eva directs the coordination between the Communications, Knowledge Management and Membership & Governance teams, as well as leading the global membership policy and governance engagement. As Chief of Operations, she also ensures the effective management of internal procedures and steers joint initiatives among the World Secretariat teams. Eva's 15-year experience also includes a background in human resources and talent management, conference planning and training facilitation, with an education in economics and business management.
The global membership and governance team engages in outreach to ICLEI Members, Member onboarding and coordinates global membership planning and services among ICLEI offices, as well as managing the ICLEI governance bodies that drive the strategic direction of the association.
Philippe works in the Membership and Governance team. In particular, he contributes to the coordination of ICLEI’s global efforts in terms of membership services and relations, and participates in the facilitation of the work of ICLEI’s governance bodies. Holding a Master Degree in International Relations from Sciences Po Bordeaux, he previously worked in the field of development in Africa.
Ariel Dekovic is a nonprofit marketing and program development expert with a strong track record of organizational management and community engagement. For over 15 years, she has worked strategically to raise the impact and brand awareness for global organizations in such diverse fields as sustainability, food policy, water management, arts and education. Ariel has an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a BA from Vassar College.
The global communications team is responsible for leading and coordinating communications across ICLEI offices. The team plays a key role in strategic communications alongside the global advocacy and policy team. The team uses communications to reach a diverse global audience and is responsible for brand positioning, multimedia production and media relations.
Dana is a communications professional who has worked with international organizations in Guatemala, Germany, the U.S. and the U.K to craft and share stories that further their work. Dana has a background in sustainable development, gender and youth rights with an MSc in Gender, Development and Globalization from the London School of Economics and a BA in History from Occidental College.
Angelo is a multifaceted designer who loves to design services that enhance the online user experience. He is responsible for conceptualizing and designing various online platforms and also acts as the web projects lead at ICLEI WS. Angelo holds a Bachelor in Integrated Design from Köln International School of Design (KISD), with a focus on Interface and Service Design.
Matteo is a social media and communication professional with experience in international and governmental organizations in Europe and the US. With a background on economics, politics and rehabilitation support for disabled children, Matteo is committed to fostering inclusive climate action that leaves no one behind. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations & a Bachelor’s in Economics.
Everica is an experienced communications professional with a demonstrated background in digital media. She has worked with various international organizations to raise brand awareness in diverse fields such as human rights, gender parity, and disaster risk reduction. Everica holds an MA in International Conflict & Security from the University of Kent and BAs from the University of Texas at Austin in International Relations and French.
Olga is responsible for the graphic design and multimedia production for ICLEI's projects. She has experience in brand design, print design and illustration, and has previously worked at the UNFCCC Secretariat. Olga holds a Master's Degree in Foreign Regional Studies with a focus on environmental policies.
Joseph leads the ICLEI Knowledge Management & Global Events team. He manages the strategic development of data and knowledge management systems used by the global organization, and advises on the development and use of sustainability indicators and performance reporting systems. Joseph has also coordinated several of global conferences at ICLEI. He has a background in environmental governance.
The ICLEI Knowledge Management & Global Events serves key organizational functions for the World Secretariat and the entire global organization, including global data and knowledge management and research. The Knowledge Management & Global Events also coordinates local ICT services to all offices and organizes key global events.
Snezhana supports the Capacity Center in Data and Knowledge Management. Through her broad technical experience, she facilitates data management process for different ICLEI projects. Snezhana has a background in Computer Engineering, with the main focus in the development and maintenance of Databases and Information Systems. Prior to joining ICLEI, Snezhana worked in the Private Sector as a Developer & Reporting Specialist.
Giulia coordinates the planning, organization and implementation of ICLEI’s global events and worked as administrator for the project “Global Platform for Sustainable Cities”, a multi-faceted project under the Global Environment Facility (GEF). With an academic background in foreign languages and tourism management, Giulia has experience in project management and events organization.
Patricia supports ICLEI World Secretariat's systems work, including the ICLEI Activity Reporting platform, the maintenance of core data in the global database as well as the organization of major events. Patricia has experience in data analysis, reporting and research. She has a background in development economics.
Ayan coordinates planning, implementation and evaluation of ICLEI’s global events. Having previously worked with international development and research NGOs in Azerbaijan and Germany, Ayan is experienced in project management and has an academic background in international relations, international marketing management and European studies.
Sunandan leads the implementation of ICLEI’s global projects and coordinates joint fund-raising at the global and regional scales, fostering collaborations among ICLEI’s offices and partners. He provides strategic guidance on circular development and sustainable mobility, as well as on general program, organizational, and partnership development. Sunandan is a trained ecologist with extensive experience on urban resilience planning and financing, biodiversity management, urban-rural dynamics, and a spectrum of other sectors in the rural domain.
The Global Projects team supports, raises funding for, manages, and implements multi-office projects with the aim of profiling ICLEI globally as a hub of expertise. In addition, it explores and develops new, cross-cutting, emerging thematic areas and related fund raising opportunities.
Isabelle specializes in the financial and administrative management of international projects and business acquisition. Her expertise lies in developing complex multi-partner budgets, forecasting and controlling project expenditure, and liaising with partners and donors for effective project administration. She also has experience in supporting human resource management and organizational administration.
Thibault manages international projects with a focus on biodiversity and specializes in acquiring and managing grants and service contracts. He also provides legal support to ICLEI offices on corporate law, contractual and procedural matters, and supports the development of organizational policies. Thibault holds LLMs in both International Law and in Intellectual Property, and has previously worked at IUCN.
Jiwon specializes in designing and implementing international development projects in the themes ranging from climate change mitigation, energy efficiency, and urban food system. She coordinates a BMU-funded project that supports cities in Southeast Asia in developing inclusive climate action plans. She holds a BSc degree in environmental engineering and MSc in environmental governance.
David supports project acquisition and the implementation of projects funded by the International Climate Initiative run by the German government. He has experience in climate change adaptation and climate finance. He holds degrees in Sustainable Development and Socioeconomics.
Jasmin supports the financial and administrative management of projects funded by the International Climate Initiative. She has a background in agriculture and resource management in sub-/tropical regions and specializes in international and interdisciplinary processes with a focus on biodiversity, climate change and socio-ecological systems.
Rany is a secondee from Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) and she is supporting the implementation of the project on climate change which successfully carried out in SMG. Rany has experience in various environmental policy. She has a background in environmental engineering and public policy.
Since our founding, ICLEI Secretary Generals and Deputy Secretary Generals have directed the organization and guided our development into the leading global network we are today.
Former executive managementJoining ICLEI means connecting to more than 1,500 local and regional governments as well as technical experts and a diversity community of partners worldwide. ICLEI Members actively engage with their peers through conferences, workshops, webinars and online platforms and take advantage of our connections with businesses, financial institutions and other implementation partners that help strengthen innovation and resourcing.
Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org
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Associate Partnership is available to non-governmental organizations, universities, state and national government agencies and not-for-profit research institutions. The purpose of Associate Partnership is to facilitate dialogues between local governments and these partners, to provide knowledge transfer in line with ICLEI's Mission and Charter, and an avenue for which partners can support ICLEI's work and mandate.
HARNESS the power of the ICLEI Network!" Governments need to give (the sense of) direction, as Business leaders we don't make the wind, we sail the boats. So policy should set the winds in the right directions if you want the boat going fast to the right harbor."Philippe Joubert Senior Advisor, World Business Council
on Sustainable Development
Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org