Markus E. Kronauer has been practising law in Zurich since 1995; he is also an expert in matters of taxation. He was invited to become the Foundation’s Vice-Chairman on its establishment. He has been appointed as the Foundation’s Chairman, effective as of July 2014. He studied law in St. Gallen.

Hans-Rudolf Castell was appointed to the Foundation Board in 2019. For 13 years, he headed the HR management Directorate of the Migros Group. Prior to this, he spent several years in the insurance industry, including in the management of two health insurers and as the secretary general of a travel insurance company. Hans-Rudolf Castell is a lawyer and graduated from the University of Bern, Switzerland.

Toni Stadler was appointed to the Foundation Board in 2019. He studied colonial history and biology in Zurich and Paris, and is active as a journalist and author. Stadler has worked for 25 years in the international service of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations and the OECD. Between 2008 and 2012, he headed the ‘Analysis and Politics’ department of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

Barbara Grünewald was appointed to the Foundation Board in 2019. She has been active in the financial sector for over 20 years, including leading positions in the areas of institutional investment management, risk management and wealth management. Barbara Grünewald completed her studies in Mathematics at the Universities of Heidelberg and Freiburg, Germany, and graduated from the University of Mainz, Germany, with a doctorate in Finance.

Stefan Kraft has been practising law in Zurich since 1964. He was a member of the Foundation Board from the Foundation’s inception until 2018, and served as its Chairman until 2014. Stefan Kraft remains non-registered Chairman of Honours of the Foundation Board. He studied law in Zurich, Paris and Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA).

Andrea Fernandez joined DROSOS FOUNDATION in October 2023 as HR Manager. Prior to that, she worked in different HR functions for more than 15 years. She has gained broad experience in the Group HR of an international insurance company as well as in several Swiss companies. Andrea holds a degree as Human Resources Specialist and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Employment Life Cycle.

Markus Ineichen joined the DROSOS FOUNDATION in November 2021 as Finance Manager. Previously, he worked for a global child rights organisation in Zurich, where he managed the finances, HR and administration. He completed his postgraduate studies (MAS) in development cooperation at the ETH (NADEL) and worked in this context at the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) on a regional project in Southeast Asia to build sustainable value chains in the rice sector. He also has professional experience in asset management and auditing and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance & Banking and a Master’s degree in Public & Nonprofit Management from the University of Lucerne.

Andrea Bartl joined the DROSOS Foundation in 2021 as Specialist Project System, Payments, Management Support. She studied economics and banking and worked in the financial services sector for over 25 years. Post-graduate education qualifies her in the areas of international finance, project management and legal regulation. She also has programme and project management experience in NGOs/NPOs. She speaks several foreign languages and worked as a project manager at ConPexCo GmbH in the field of organisational development and business development before joining the DROSOS Foundation.

Justina Palmer Bahr has been DROSOS FOUNDATION’s IT assistant since 2016. Previously, she worked for ETH Zurich in the Mechanical and Process Engineering Department and the IT Services Department. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in information technologies at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.

Ingo Tegge joined DROSOS FOUNDATION in March 2023 as the Head of Programmes Europe. He started his international career at the German cultural organization Goethe-Institut with assignments in South Africa and Nigeria. Afterwards, he gained experience in the business sector, working for a consultancy focused on innovation management and new work concepts in the greater Stuttgart area, Germany. Before joining DROSOS, Ingo Tegge managed the Goethe-Zentrum Klausenburg in the Transylvanian academic, cultural, and economic hub of Cluj-Napoca, Romania for seven years. As the centre’s director, he shaped its strategic vision and programmes and led numerous projects addressing topics such as migration, violence against women, and media literacy. Ingo Tegge is passionate about bridging cultural differences and knowledge transfer. He holds a Magister degree in Modern German Literature from the Free University of Berlin.

Jennifer Tharr joined the DROSOS FOUNDATION in August 2023. Her academic background in Modern German Literature and Theater Studies led her to several roles in the German theater world as editor, cultural mediator and project manager. Convinced about the power of participative cultural work, she then worked for the German Association for Socioculture in Berlin for more than eight years. There, she lead “START – Create Cultural Change”, a Greek-German capacity building and fellowship programme of the Robert Bosch Stiftung. When the pandemic hit, she took over the lead of “NEUSTART”, an emergency programme for Corona-related investments in cultural institutions, which served as a pilot for the “NEUSTART KULTUR” programme of the Federal Commissioner for Culture and Media. Before joining the DROSOS FOUNDATION, she was the spokesperson for cultural policy at the German Association for Socioculture.

Robert Kusche joined DROSOS FOUNDATION as a Programme Manager Germany in October 2023. In the past ten years, he gained valuable experience at RAA (Regional Offices for Education, Integration and Democracy) Saxony, where he was responsible for the overall management, the implementation of innovative projects and the counselling of victims of right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic violence as Managing Director. As a board member of the Association of Counselling Centres for Victims of Right-wing, Racist and Anti-Semitic Violence (VBRG), he was involved in the founding of the association and campaigned for the rights of victims at the federal level. Robert is always on the lookout for new, progressive social projects, especially in rural areas. He holds a Master’s degree in Eastern European Studies from the Free University of Berlin, a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the TU Dresden and an Executive Master in Public Management from the Hertie School of Governance.

Christoph Meneghetti joined DROSOS FOUNDATION in December 2023. He has gained experience in various fields of the arts and in cultural institutions of different sizes, as a performer, manager, artistic director and board member. Prior to joining DROSOS, Christoph was a project manager in the culture department of Christoph Merian Foundation in Basel, where he managed grants and funding relationships at all levels. During this time, he focused on new funding models for organisational development and frameworks for alternative, artist-run or community-run art spaces. Being an advocate for inclusion, Christoph’s work has increasingly focused on addressing the lack of diversity and participation in many areas of society. He holds a Master’s degree in German literature and linguistics, theatre studies, and English literature. While working in philanthropy, he has completed a Diploma of Advanced Studies in NPO management and law, as well as certificates in social work and systemic coaching.

Angela Serratore joined DROSOS FOUNDATION in July 2024, bringing with her a wealth of international experience and a passion for sustainability and education. With an academic background in International Management, she has studied and worked in Switzerland and abroad. She also conducted research in Sierra Leone on natural resources and conflicts, further broadening her international expertise. Over the past ten years she worked as a project and programme manager, developing innovative and practice-oriented educational programmes and training for children, students and employees. Her business acumen and interest in sustainable development led her to complete an agricultural internship on an organic farm, where she gained additional practical experience. Before founding the Climate School Programme in Switzerland, she worked for a Swiss foundation, where she was responsible to implement sustainable agricultural projects in Côte d’Ivoire. Her extensive experience in nonprofit organizations has equipped her with the expertise to ensure that her projects are effective and sustainably enduring.

Regula Kaufmann joined DROSOS FOUNDATION as a Programme Manager in 2015. In 2023, she took on additional responsibilities and was appointed Head of Programmes Levant. Prior to joining the Foundation, she coordinated and managed projects promoting good governance in the Middle East and North Africa for the Geneva-based organisation DCAF – the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces. Moreover, she has worked for local NGOs in the Middle East and East Asia, where she gained several years of experience in human rights and community-based tourism initiatives. She holds an MA in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from the University of Basel.

Giulia Pianigiani was appointed Programme Manager by the Foundation in 2021. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was responsible for managing the partnership between the Swiss Development Cooperation and the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees as well as for overseeing the development and the monitoring of the Swiss Cooperation strategy in Gaza and the West Bank. Moreover, she has worked for the United Nations, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in East Jerusalem, Europe and Morocco. Her expertise includes strategic coordination, programme management and partnership building with UN agencies, governments, and civil society.She holds an MA in Political Sciences from the Luis Guido Carlo University in Rome, a BA in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics and a Certificate in Organizational Development from the Harvard Extension School.

Hermona Abraham Brahmi was appointed Project Manager by the Foundation in 2019. Prior to this, she was Program Officer for the African Innovation Foundation, in which role she provided management and operational support to the Innovation Prize for Africa program. She has experience in numerous NGOs and Public-Private Partnerships, including the Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN), the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in Switzerland. Hermona Brahmi Abraham holds an MA in International Public Management and Policy from the University of Geneva and Erasmus University of Rotterdam and a BA in Political Science from the University of Lausanne.

Moath Isied joined DROSOS in May 2023 as Programme Manager. He is experienced in culture development for social and political change and has managed a variety of projects in Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, and Germany.
Through the Baladk Street and Urban Arts Project in Jordan, Moath supported local emerging artists and youth to further build their capacities by creating a platform and a space to learn, share and collaborate.

After a replacement at DROSOS FOUNDATION in 2021, Sabrina Mayoufi permanently joined DROSOS in March 2024. She brings along a wealth of experience in the fields of both humanitarian work and development cooperation. Most recently, Sabrina was a Programme Manager at Solidar Suisse. Before that, she was responsible at Helvetas to build the risk and disaster preparedness and intervention capacities in Helvetas’ partner countries worldwide. She also contributed to the development and launch of Helvetas’ programmes in Lebanon and Jordan. Sabrina started her career with the Red Cross and NGOs, served then at the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) in Albania, and afterwards joined the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Rome.
She holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Université La Sorbonne, Paris I and Nanterre Paris X, as well as a DEEA in European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges/Belgium. Sabrina is fluent in French, English, German, Italian and Dutch, and speaks basic Arabic and Spanish.

Devoted to helping unlock the potential of young people, Hanan Dowidar joined DROSOS FOUNDATION in November 2023 as Country Director Egypt. Hanan is a development expert with diverse experience working for international organizations, government agencies, educational institutions and civil society associations.

Commencing her career as an economist at the Egyptian Ministry of International Cooperation, Hanan later transitioned to the World Bank, serving both at its Washington DC headquarters and the Cairo office. Later, in her role as the Deputy Director of the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Programme – funded by the European Commission and managed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research – Hanan initiated numerous initiatives dedicated to public engagement with science, particularly targeting children and youth. Hanan also consulted diverse organizations including the American University in Cairo (AUC) on informal science education.

Before joining DROSOS FOUNDATION, Hanan worked as the Head of Strategic Partnerships at 1001 Inventions, a leading British science and cultural heritage organization. There, she led educational campaigns around the world and developed a global network of strategic partnerships.

Rania Elsabbahy has been responsible for the Finance & Administration Department since 2012. She has previously held various finance roles in the private sector and has also worked for international humanitarian organisations in Egypt. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Auditing at the University of Cairo.

Layal Dandache was appointed Programme Manager by the Foundation in 2014. She previously worked at the American University of Beirut and with international organisations such as the Canadian International Development Research Centre, where she was involved in agricultural and rural development. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Master’s degree in Plant Science at the American University of Beirut.

May Abu Seoud joined the Foundation as a Programme Manager in 2017. Previously, she worked for a number of Egyptian and international organisations, such as the Egyptian Radio and Television Union, CARE International and the American University in Cairo. As a consultant, she collaborated with several organisations including the German development organisation GIZ, CARE, Save the Children and the American University in Cairo. She has fifteen years’ experience in development and particular expertise in documenting the processes of community development projects. She holds a Master’s degree in Community Development and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the American University in Cairo.

Mary Ramsis was appointed Programme Manager by the Foundation in 2016. Previously, she worked for several international organisations such as CARE International, World Education, Agriteam Canada and the Coady International Institute. She holds a Master’s degree in Participation, Power and Social Change from the Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University in the UK and an MBA from Cairo University in Egypt. She also has a Bachelor in French Literature from Egypt. Furthermore, she has completed professional development diplomas in Civil Society and Human Rights at Cairo University, in Executive Management at the American University of Cairo and in Community Development Leadership at the Coady International Institute.

Rana Khamis is a sustainable development enthusiast. Over the past 15 years, Rana gathered worldwide experience designing and implementing projects, as well as developing strategies with bilateral and multilateral organisations including the Danish Egyptian Dialogue Initiative, the German Development Cooperation in addition to holding different positions at UNDP in Cairo and Abu Dhabi. Rana obtained her Bachelor from the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, majoring in Tourism Management. She also received her first postgraduate studies in project management from Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales and completed the second Master’s Degree in Public Policy at the American University in Cairo.

Neveen Ezz Al Din has been responsible for the administration of the Office Cairo since 2017. Previously, she worked as a Programme Assistant at UNESCO’s Cairo office for 12 years, where she was involved in various sectors and assisted the director’s office. She was also responsible for media and communications relating to UNESCO’s activities. She holds a B.Sc. in Accounting and Auditing from Cairo University.

Enas Abu Zeinah was appointed Head of Finance and Administration by the Foundation in 2018. Prior to that, she worked for 12 years as Finance & Compliance Manager for international organisations in Palestine and later as Financial Management Advisor for the Intrahealth organisation to improve and enhance the system of referrals at the Palestinian Ministry of Health. She worked for three years as a Financial Consultant for several local and international organisations operating in Palestine. She has key experience in financial management, auditing, compliance, budgeting and human resource management. She holds a B.A in Accounting with a Master’s degree in Business Administration.

Passionate about community work and social impact, Maha Ech-Chefaa joined DROSOS FOUNDATION as a Country Director Morocco & Tunisia in September 2024. Having a background in IT, she changed her career path in 2015: she transitioned from a tech consultancy to a role as global Programme Management Officer at Enactus Morocco, where she stayed and held the position of Country Leader for the last six years before joining DROSOS FOUNDATION. Maha is particularly interested in how technology and entrepreneurship could bring positive social change and is mentoring young entrepreneurs in Morocco and worldwide. She was the president of “Junior Chamber International (JCI) of Rabat”, is alumna of TechWomen, Ashoka ChangemakerXchange and Enpact programs and ambassador of Google WomenTechMakers and Womenwill communities.

Maha holds a Master in Project Management from the Engineering School of CESI in Lyon, France, and a Master in Competitive Intelligence & Innovation Management from Jean Monnet University, France. She began her academic journey with a Bachelor in Information Management from the Information Science School in Rabat, Morocco.

Fouad Lamnaouar has been Head of Finance & Administration since 2012. He gained extensive experience in the management and administration of social development projects during his time at an international NGO in Morocco. He completed his degree in Management at the Institut Supérieur d’Informatique Appliqué et de Management in Agadir.

Ismail Lahlou joined the Foundation as a Programme Manager in 2017. Prior to that, he worked for consulting firms specialising in social, medico-social and health issues, where he carried out numerous consultancy assignments for public, private, and civil society organisations in France and internationally. For the past five years he managed the social assistance programme run by the Alliances Foundation in Morocco. He holds two Master’s degrees from the University of Montpellier in France, one in Intermediation and Social Development and the other in Organisations and Institutions.

Hanane Fzain was appointed Programme Manager by the Foundation in 2015. Previously, she worked for several national and international NGOs, including a Moroccan NGO concerned with the advancement of women’s rights and a Moroccan association that actively promotes the rights of people with disabilities and strives to improve their quality of life. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Mediation and a postgraduate degree in Organisational Communication.

Nabil El Qamçaoui’s background is in international relations and strategic partnerships. Before joining the DROSOS FOUNDATION in March 2024, Nabil served as a Program Officer at the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS), where he supported the activities of two departments: Partnerships and Research Support and Public Policy Lab. In a previous role as a Technical Advisor at GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH), Nabil contributed to the collaboration efforts with institutional partners and to the implementation of the “Sport for Development” project in Morocco and the “Inclusive Entrepreneurship Initiative” which supports and trains entrepreneurs from Morocco, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali. Nabil holds a Master’s degree International Relations from the Institut Québécois des Hautes Etudes Internationales of Laval University in Canada. His Master’s thesis explored the cooperation between Morocco and the European Union in the field of renewable energy.