He is Rector of the Bocconi University from November 1^st, 2016.
Professor of Management at the Bocconi University since 2008. Since 2012 I has been TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile) Chair in Market Innovation.
Between 2006 and 2013 he have been involved in research at Dartmouth College and teaching in the MBA curriculum of the Tuck School of Business.
He is currently member of editorial board of the Strategic Management Journal, Strategic Organization, Journal of Management, and Journal of Management Studies. In addition he is also Associate Editor of Economia & Management the leading-quarterly Italian magazine on business and management.
He teaches themes related to Technology and Innovation Management at different levels - Undergraduate, Master, Executive Education, and PhD curricula - and his research agenda is strictly linked to the strategic management of technology and innovation.

Stefano Zamagni, Ph.D. earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Oxford. He currently serves as Professor of Economics at the University of Bologna and Adjunct Professor of International Political Economy at Johns Hopkins University, Bologna. At the University of Bologna, Dr. Zamagni was Director of the Department of Economics (1985-1993) and later Dean of the Faculty of Economics (1993-1996). Dr. Zamagni has been a member of the Executive Committee of International Economy Association (1989-1999) and the Steering Committee of Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Since 1991, he has also been a member of the Pontifical Council on Justice and Peace. He was President of ICMC from 1999 to 2007 (an NGO based in Geneva dealing with migrant and refugee issues) and a fellow of the Human Development and Capability Association at Harvard University. In 2007, he was appointed President of the Italian Commission for Non Profit sector and was awarded the title of knight of the order of St. Gregory the Great, Milan. In 2010, he received the Giorgio La Pira Prize for Peace. Professor Zamagni is a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences of Milan, the Academy of Sciences of Bologna, the Academy of Sciences of Modena, and the New York Academy of Sciences. Since 2013 is a member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and one of the five components of its Executive Council. He is President of the “Fondazione Italia per il Dono” (Italian Foundation for Giftgiving).

Adam is a Senior Editor for The Economist Intelligence Unit's thought leadership division, focusing on public policy, global health and development topics, especially in Africa and the Middle East. He has led in-depth research studies, surveys, documentaries and info-graphics for clients including Philips, Ernst and Young, Western Union and Accenture. Previously Adam worked for the International Growth Centre, a research institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science, funded by the UK Department for International Development, and as a reporter and deputy editor with the Financial Times' magazine This is Africa. Adam holds a Masters in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, with a grade of distinction.

Dr. Barbara Buchner is Executive Director of the widely renowned Climate Finance program at Climate Policy Initiative, based out of San Francisco. Named one of the 20 most influential women in climate change, Barbara advises leaders on climate, energy, and land use investments around the world.
Barbara is lead author on CPI's Global Landscape of Climate Finance, which has set the benchmark for climate finance tracking and Climate Finance in 2013-14 and the USD 100 billion goal – a joint report with the OECD that played a seminal role in the lead up to the Paris Agreement.
She directs CPI's work as Secretariat of the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance (the Lab). The Lab's public-private approach solicits, shapes, and tests cutting edge climate finance instruments that resolve financing barriers hindering alternative energy, adaptation, and land use projects. The Lab has helped raise over 500 million USD for its initiatives, and was endorsed by the G7 in its first year of operation. The success of the Lab has also helped to shape the new India Innovation Lab for Climate Finance. Barbara leads CPI’s work as Secretariat of Finance for Resilience (FiRe), a sister initiative to The Lab that focuses on private sector approaches to scaling up investment in green growth. In addition, Barbara built and directed the San Giorgio Group, which brings together key financial institutions actively engaged in green, low-emissions finance in collaboration with the World Bank Group, China Light & Power, and the OECD.
Barbara regularly speaks at high-profile events as an expert in climate policy and climate finance, has presented at Climate Week, at the Climate Finance Ministerial, as part of the GCF Private Sector Facility, at COP side-events, and at the BNEF Summit among others.

Lucy Hurst is the director of the EIU’s Public Policy, Economics and Politics consultancy for Europe, Middle East and Africa regions. With more than 15 years of experience with the EIU, she has directed research studies that consider public policy issues at the country and city level—food security, financial inclusion, women’s entrepreneurship, social progress and sustainability. She has led country diagnostic studies aimed at understanding the dynamics of political, economic and business operating conditions and international marketing and market entry issues for public and private sector clients. Recent projects include the Global Food Security Index, a series of benchmarking studies that examined resource scarcity and access to finance, and a database for the No Ceilings initiative that tracks progress for women and girls over the past 20 years. Ms. Hurst has an MA in international affairs with emphasis on finance from the Patterson School of Diplomacy at the University of Kentucky. She also holds a BA in French and political science from Vanderbilt University.

Dario Piselli is a PhD student in International Law at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and works as a Research Officer for its Global Health Centre. He holds an MSc in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics and a J.D. from the University of Siena, where he has been appointed in October 2015 as a cultore della materia in Public International Law and EU Law. His main research interests include international environmental law and policy, biodiversity conservation, ocean governance, climate change, global health, and sustainable development.

In 2014, he was one of the founding members of SDSN Youth, the global youth chapter of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and currently works as its Project Leader for Solutions Initiatives. In 2015, he was the organization’s Global Coordinator for the #KnowYourGoals campaign, and since 2016 he has been overseeing the preparation of the first edition Youth Solutions Report as well as SDSN Youth’s participation in the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. He is currently based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Hilal Elver is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Right to Food since June 2014. She is an international law professor and Global Distinguished Fellow at the UCLA Law School Resnick Food Law and Policy Center; as well as the Co-director of the Climate Change, Human Security and Democracy project at the Orfalea Center, UC Santa Barbara, where she has been Distinguished Visiting Professor between 2002-2012. Previously she was the UNEP Chair on Environmental Diplomacy at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta; and taught at the University of Ankara, Faculty of Law. She served also to Turkish government as the founding legal advisor of the Ministry of Environment, and General Director of the Women Status at office of the Prime Minister. Until very recently She was also a member of the Turkish team at the Climate Change negotiations. Her publications focus on environmental law, climate change, food security, human rights and women rights. Her book on Peaceful Uses of International Rivers; The Euphrates and Tigris Transboundary River Basins published in 2002; Headscarf Controversy: Secularism and Freedom of Religion published by Oxford University in 2012; Her most recent co-edited book with Paul Wapner is Reimagining Climate Change published in 2016 by Routledge Press.

Mr. Bakker is a distinguished business leader who joined WBCSD as President and CEO in January, 2012. Mr Bakker was previously the CEO of TNT NV, the Netherlands-based holding company of TNT Express and Royal TNT Post. Mr. Bakker is the recipient of the Clinton Global Citizen Award (2009); SAM Sustainability Leadership Award (2010); and has been an Ambassador Against Hunger for the UN World Food Programme since 2011. Mr. Bakker is an appointed Commissioner for the Business and Sustainable Development Commission, and in 2016 he was named an SDG 12.3 Champion for his commitment to reducing food loss and waste. In addition, he is the Chairman of War Child Netherlands.

Rosie Boycott is the Chair of the London Food Board and Food Advisor to the Mayor of London. She is also a journalist and the founder of the feminist magazine Spare Rib. She was the first female editor-in-chief of a broadsheet newspaper ( The Independent on Sunday and the Independent) as well as the first female editor-in-chief of a mass market daily, The Daily Express. She has appeared on numerous TV and Radio programmes, written and presented various documentaries and hosted her own TV interview show for BBC2. After leaving the Daily Express she ran a small farm in the west of England which started her interest in food, its politics and its importance.

Fabrice DeClerck is a Belgo-Californian ecologist, geographer, and EAT’s Science Director operating from the Stockholm Resilience Center. Fabrice specializes in human-environment interactions as mediated by ecosystem services, food systems and diets. He is a Senior Scientist at Bioverseny International, a member of the CGIAR research consortium and holds joint appointments wenh the Earth Instenute at Columbia Universeny and CATIE in Costa Rica. Fabrice contributes to several global sustainabileny ineniatives including authorship on several Intergovernmental Panel for Bioverseny and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) reports, and to the Unened Nation’s Environment Program’s Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiverseny for Agriculture and Food Systems project. He has authored more than 90 papers and pieces on sustainable food systems highlighting the central role of food in environmental conservation, and human health. 

Marie-Stéphane Maradeix, Executive Director, Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso (France) –Prior to joining the Foundation in 2011, Marie-Stéphane Maradeix worked for Médecins du Monde, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Fondation Apprentis d’Auteuil. She also was deputy director of the development campaign at the ESSEC Business School and campaign director at the Ecole polytechnique. She has over 30 years of experience in the philanthropic sector, including one year inthe International program on philanthropy studies at Johns Hopkins Universeny, and has authored books on foundations, NGOs and fundraising. She is a board member of several foundations and Secretary of the French Center of Funds and Foundations.

To change the food system paradigm, en is urgent to promote dialogue between disciplines and to test new production and consumption practices. To that end, the Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso actively encourages cross-disciplinary research and ineniatives in the field to help bring about food systems and diets that are sustainable, equenable, and healthy for people and the planet.

Oliver Oliveros is the Senior Officer for Partnerships and International Relations at Agropolis Fondation. Prior to this, he was the Global Coordinator of an international initiative called DURAS (2004-2008) which aimed to promote dialogue between the scientific and civil society communities and transform such efforts into concrete research collaboration. He was formerly a Programme Officer (1999–2004) at the Secretariat of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) in FAO in Rome where he worked on issues related to research partnerships, knowledge systems and civil society organizations. Before coming to Europe in 1999, Oliver worked for five years at the Ministry of Socio-economic Planning in Manila (Philippines) where he was extensively involved in policy analysis, project evaluation and investment programming in the agriculture, rural development and natural resources sector as well as in the formulation and localization of the country’s Agenda 21 and Medium-Term Development Plan.

Livia Pomodoro was obtained a first-class honors degree in Law and received a special mention from her degree board.
She entered in judiciary in 1965. During her professional career, she has had a wide range of judiciary and management roles such as: Head of Cabinet of the Ministry of Justice; President of the Milan Youth Court; President of the Milan Court.
On 17 February 2014, she was appointed as President of the Milan Center for Food Law and Policy. On 5 October 2015 she has been appointed Vice President of Banca Prossima Internationalisation Advisory Board.
On 11 December 2015 she has been appointed as the external component in the Board of Directors of Bicocca University.
On 30 March 2016 she has been named component of the Touring Club Italia (TCI) board.
On 27 April 2016 she has been named component of the Board of Directors of "Banca Intesa San Paolo S.p.A." and on the 29 April 2016 in the Board of Directors of "Il Sole 24 Ore S.p.A.".
On 18 November 2016, she will be appointed as President of Academy of fine Arts of Brera.
She is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Centre for Research into Intercultural Relations at the Cattolica University of Milan.
She is member of the steering committee of the Italian chapter of Women Corporate Directors (WCD) and Ambassador of WE-Women for Expo.
She chairs the National Centre for Social Prevention and Defense Foundation and the ISPAC non- profit organization and sits on the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
She has also written numerous publications, in particular several texts and introductions to books on family and social issues. In 1988 she approved the draft for the new code of youth criminal procedure.
The activity today distinguishes in a unique way Mrs Livia Pomodoro, is that relating to the direction of the Spazio Teatro No'hma Teresa Pomodoro, which she continued as president after the death of his sister Teresa, actress and playwright.

Kanayo F. Nwanze is President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which is dedicated to ensuring that agriculture is a central part of the international development agenda, and that governments recognize the concerns of smallholder farmers and other poor rural people. He has been a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Food Secureny since 2010. He was previously Director-General of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Africa Rice Center for a decade, where he was instrumental in introducing and promoting New Rice for Africa, or NERICA, a high-yield, drought- and pest-resistant variety developed specifically for the African landscape.

FORUM CONTRIBUTION: “Sustainable food systems: what needs to change”.

Founder and Executive Director of the 30 Project, a new way to connect global hunger and obesity and crowd-source long-term food system change. The 30 Project is hosting and inspiring dinners around the U.S. and world to promote a new dialogue and new solutions to a better food system.
Ellen Gustafson is also the Co-founder of FEED Projects, LLC, a charitable company that creates good products that help FEED the world, and Co-founder and former Executive Director of FEED’s non-profit partner, the FEED Foundation. Under Ellen Gustafson’s leadership FEED provided over 65 million school meals to children around the world.
Previously, she was a US Spokesperson for the U.N. World Food Program, a terrorism research reporter in the ABC News Investigative Unit and a research associate for the Military Fellows at the Council on Foreign Relations. She has featured, with FEED business partner Lauren Bush, as one of Fortune Magazine’s 2009 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneur, and has spoken at the Fortune Most Powerful Women’s Conference. Ellen Gustafson has also guest lectured at Harvard, New York University, Lehigh University, Columbia University, and the U.S. Naval Academy.
She has a B.A. in International Politics from Columbia University and is pursuing a master’s Degree in Food Studies at New York University.

Francesca Allievi, BCFN Alumna and Alumni Community President (Italy) – Allievi has a M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and has been working since 2008 on various issues related to sustainability assessment. Since 2011 she has been a PhD student in the Department of Geography of University of Turku, working on a thesis dealing with the role of meat consumption in food sustainability globally. In 2014 she was one of the Milan Protocol Ambassadors of the BCFN Foundation. She coordinates the BCFN Alumni Community.

Elena Cadel is a communication psychologist. Her expertise is in the area of psychology of sustainability and consumer behavior. Her research is diversified both in terms of topics covered (e.g. food consumption, recycling behavior, water conservation) and methodologies used (e.g. qualitative and quantitative).
In February 2014, she received a European Ph.D. in Education and Communication Sciences at the University of Milano-Bicocca, with a thesis about the psychological drives on meat consumption (i.e. an investigation of attitudes, identity and norms).
She presented different contributions at national and international conferences and she has been one of the finalists of the BCFN Young Hearth Solutions (YES) competition in 2012.
At present, she works as a consultant for the BCFN foundation and she still collaborates with the University of Milano Bicocca, where she holds seminars and lectures about “food psychology”. Since 2004, she has also been involved in marketing research.

Laurie Goering, Climate Editor, Thomson Reuters Foundation (USA) – Goering edits the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s news website on the humanitarian and development impacts of climate change. Previously she worked as a correspondent for the Chicago Tribune in India, South Africa, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil and the UK.

Mario Calabresi, writer and journalist, was born in Milan in 1970. He was Editor of the La Stampa newspaper from 2009 to 2015 and as of January 15th 2016 has edited the Italian daily La Repubblica.
Prior to this, he worked as a parliamentary reporter for the Ansa press association and the Rome editorial office of La Stampa.
He also held the position of Editor-in-Chief of La Repubblica and, from 2007 to 2008, was the New York correspondent for the same paper, following the electoral campaign culminating in the election of Barack Obama. His published books include Spingendo la notte più in là. Storia della mia famiglia e di altre vittime del terrorismo (Pushing back the night. Stories of my family and other victims of terrorism) (2007); La fortuna non esiste. Storie di uomini e donne che hanno avuto il coraggio di rialzarsi (Fortune doesn’t exist. Stories of men and women who were brave enough to rise up) (2009); Cosa tiene accese le stelle. Storie di italiani che non hanno mai smesso di credere nel futuro (What keeps the stars burning. Stories of Italians who have never stopped believing in the future) (2011), all published by Mondadori.
By contrast, he went on to write A Occhi Aperti (With eyes wide open) (2013) which collects his interviews with ten leading photographers, who recount the moments in which history was frozen by a photograph. His most recent book is called Non temete per noi, la nostra vita sarà meravigliosa (Don’t fear for us, our lives will be wonderful): an antidote to the discouragement evident in those young people who today ask whether their dreams are worth dreaming. In 2011 he presented the RAI 3 television production entitled Hotel Patria.

Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute Columbia University and Director, SDSN (USA) – Sachs is a renowned professor of economics, leader in sustainable development, senior UN advisor, bestselling author, and columnist. He is the co-recipient of the 2015 Blue Planet Prize and has been among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential world leaders twice. He serves as Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Sustainable Development Goals. Sachs is Director of both the Center for Sustainable Development, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network under UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The network serves to strategically mobilise universities and institutions to achieve the SDGs. His speech will reinforce the relevance and impact of food issues in the context of Agenda 2030 and the extraordinary interconnection of the issues.

DAVID M. EISENBERG, MD, is the director of culinary nutrition and adjunct associate professor of nutrition at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH). He is the founding co-director of the Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives conference, and co-director of the recently established HSPH-Culinary Institute of America “Teaching Kitchen Collaborative”. From 2000-2010, David served as the Bernard Osher Distinguished Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, founding director of the Osher Research Center and the founding chief of the Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies. He is board certified in internal medicine and has published more than 100 peer reviewed publications relating to integrative and lifestyle medicine. As the son and grandson of professional bakers, David aspires to bring together the culinary and medical communities to enhance comprehensive health care for all.

Dr. Sievenpiper is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. He is also a Staff Physician in the Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism and Scientist in the La Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital. Dr. Sievenpiper completed his MSc, PhD and Postdoctoral Fellowship training in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.
He completed his MD at St. Matthew’s University followed by Residency training in Medical Biochemistry at McMaster University. His research is focused on using randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews and meta-analyses to address important questions in relation to diet and chronic disease prevention.
He currently holds a PSI Foundation Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship, Canadian Diabetes Association Clinician Scientist Award, and Banting & Best Diabetes Centre Sun Life Financial New Investigator Award. He has authored 130 scientific papers and 13 book chapters. Dr. Sievenpiper is directly involved in knowledge translation with appointments to the nutrition guidelines’ committees of the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA), European Association for the study of Diabetes (EASD), and Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS).

Katarzyna was born in Poland, and has lived in Italy and the Unitesd States. She holds a B.Sc. in Dietetics and in M.Sc. in Food Science, both earned cum laude at the University of Florence.

She has experience as a freelance dietitian in clinics and therapy centers in Florence, specializing in weight loss programs for adults, children and adolescents.

Katarzyna has worked in the field of nutrition education, holding workshops in schools in Tuscany for children and their parents to promote fruit consumption, within the European project “Fruit in Schools ". She has collaborated with Tuscany's Food and Hygiene health service providing nutritional counseling for individuals and groups to facilitate healthy eating habits. She has lectured for the courses on Psychology, Nutrition and Mediterranean Diet, for the bachelor students of the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign based in Rome, where she currently lives.

Since 2014 she is working as a consultant for the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition, and has collaborated on several Foundation's projects such as the Food Sustainability Index, the Stakeholder Workshops and the Double Pyramid publications.

Marcela Villarreal, Director of Gender, equity and rural development, FAO (Colombia) – Villarreal joined the FAO in 1996. Prior to joining she was a Senior officer for UNFPA and the ILO’s Regional employment programme in Chile. She has worked and published in the areas of poverty reduction, rural development, employment, social inequality, food security and gender issues.

Mr. Sahota is the founder and president of Organic Monitor, a specialist research, consulting & training firm that specialises on the global organic & related product industries. Organic Monitor has been actively tracking ethical and sustainable product industries since 2001.

Mr. Sahota has been involved in the health, wellness and sustainable industries for over 15 years. He has assisted a wide range of clients in realising their business potential in these industries. His clients range from multinationals, government organizations, to dedicated organic food companies.

Mr. Sahota has degrees in Applied Chemistry and Management Science as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing.He has co-authored a number of books on sustainability and organic products. He is currently working on a book on Sustainability in the Beauty Industry.

Rabobank is the leading Food and Agri bank in the world. Rabobank employs a wide range of instruments to finance Food and Agriculture and Renewable Energy across the globe. In emerging economies, this is often done in cooperation with multi- or uni-lateral Development Financial Institutions. Designing these structures, whether in private equity, corporate finance, export and trade finance, treasury, SME finance, investment and banking advisory, is the responsibility of the MDB team.
Before heading the MDB team, Ben served from 2006 – 2011 as Regional Manager for Rabo Development in Asia and South America, serving a variety of rural banks with advisory in countries as China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Egypt. Before that, Ben served for 10 years in various senior management functions in the domestic banking network of Rabobank, a.o. as Director Corporate Banking for Rabobank Arnhem and as Adjunct Regional Director.

He is an entomologist, farmer and development specialist. He was the first Swiss to receive the 1995 World Food Prize and the 2013 Right Livelihood Award for leading a major biological pest management campaign in Africa, successfully fighting the Cassava mealybug and averting a major food crisis that could have claimed an estimated 20 million lives.
Herren is the President and CEO of the Millennium Institute and co-founder and President of the Swiss foundation Biovision. He co-chaired the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) published in 2009, and was Director General of International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi, Kenya form 1994 to 2005. He was involved in the preparations of the United Nations' Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development and the Post 2015 Agenda (Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with Biovision Foundation and Millennium Institute.

Marta Antonelli, BCFN Alumna (Italy) – Antonelli collaborates with BCFN as a researcher, bringing over seven years of experience in the field of natural resources policy and management. Her research experience include positions at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, the University Roma Tre and the University IUAV of Venice. She holds a PhD in Geography and MSc in International Economics and Development. Her research interests are in the field of water and agricultural policy, natural resources management and sustainability, agricultural investment, climate change and corporate social responsibility.

Matthias Meißner is senior policy advisor for sustainable agriculture, international agricultural policy and food security at WWF Germany, since 2008. Since then he has been working specially on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and coordinated the WWF European network on the CAP reform. He is a member of several Civil Dialogue Groups of the EC. His current focus is the work on sustainable food systems, which includes the reduction of food losses, sustainable agriculture production, as much as the consumption of meat. He advises WWF Zambia on agro-ecology.

Prior to his work for WWF Germany, Matthias has been working as project manager with the EuroNatur Foundation. From 2001 to 2008 he was policy advisor on the CAP Reform and responsible for projects on sustainable land use and conservation in Spain. From 2001 – 2004 he was deputy member of the EESC.

Matthias Meißner (born 1972) is father of 3 kids and holds a Diploma in Geography of the Free University Berlin.

Elisabeth Rasmusson became the World Food Programme’s Assistant Executive Director for Partnership and Governance Services in April 2013. In this role, Ms. Rasmusson oversees the organization’s partnership activities with governments, other agencies (including the other Rome-based UN agencies) and the private sector, as well as our offices in Addis Ababa, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Dubai, Geneva, London, Madrid, New York, Paris, Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.
Before joining WFP, Ms. Rasmusson was secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Norway’s largest humanitarian NGO, with 3,000 staff who protect and assist displaced people in some of the world’s most challenging conflicts. She was responsible for the organisation’s activities in more than 20 countries.
Ms. Rasmusson, who has worked in the humanitarian sector for more than 20 years, was awarded the prestigious French Legion of Honour (l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur) in 2011 for her “tireless efforts to promote the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons and her dedicated work for the Norwegian Refugee Council.”
Her wide-ranging career in humanitarian affairs features assignments as the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Uganda and as senior advisor to the UN deputy emergency coordinator, where she contributed to a better understanding of the functions of humanitarian and resident coordinators. She has also served as a field coordinator for the UN in Angola; cooperation coordinator for ICRC in Colombia; and deputy head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. She served as NRC’s interim country director in Georgia and then resident representative in Geneva, where she established the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, the leading international body monitoring conflict-induced internal displacement worldwide. In Geneva, she helped develop and implement the IASC Humanitarian Reform.
Ms. Rasmusson is qualified as a Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) and is a member of the HC pool. She has served in the advisory group of the Central Emergency Response Fund and on DFID's Humanitarian Emergency Response Review Senior Advisory Board.
Ms. Rasmusson has a degree in political science, public international law and social anthropology from the University of Oslo. She is a national of Norway. She is married to Gerard Stoudmann from Switzerland.