Swiss, Italian, American citizen. Team-player, self-directed, hard-working, with more than 5 years of experience research, NGO, public and private sector, working in nutrition and public health. Organized, adaptable, and detail-oriented, successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Core Team, Food Systems Facilitator
Glocolearning
12.2022 - Current
Facilitate co-learning and co-creation of change pathways through scenario-building and participatory mapping workshops using food systems tools and methodologies to empower individuals and organizations in driving food systems change (see workshops)
Independent research project in collaboration with CGIAR’s Sustainable Healthy Diets program, supervised by Dr Inge Brouwer exploring transformative food systems transitions and the issues related to contextual factors that determine the impact of successful interventions
Some other projects include: 1) Wageningen MSc Course on Food Systems for Sustainable Healthy Diets on the Backcasting Method and 2) Cornell University’s Wild Future’s Project on building a food systems taxonomy to source innovations in non-academic databases.
Identified research needs, conceptualized long-term business requirements, and mentored junior researchers and facilitators, fostering a positive learning environment
Researcher
International Livestock Research Institute
01.2023 - 08.2023
Conducted literature review, collected and synthesized data, and wrote details research report on MSc thesis on the "Diet Quality Questionnaire (DQQ) indicator scores and association with sociodemographic characteristics of pastoralist women of reproductive age (15-49)" in two sub-counties in Isiolo, Kenya
Identified research gaps for future research through the 'Scoping Review: Food Environment, food choice, diets, and nutrition outcomes of pastoralist's in Africa'
Developed strong relationships with local stakeholders by effectively communicating complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences
Facilitated a series of focus group discussions to integrate a participatory approach in quantitative research studies
Program Associate
Global Alliance For Improved Nutrition – Innovations For Health And Planet
06.2021 - 12.2022
Managed the Innovative Food Systems Solutions (IFSS) Portal together with core team at GAIN, the Alliance of Bioversity-CIAT, and EAT Foundation
Facilitated training sessions of food systems tools and organized events, forums and panels in collaboration with partners
Coordinated the EatSafe Innovation Food Safety accelerator in Nigeria & Ethiopia, in partnership with USAID Feed the Future, EatSafe Program, the Scaling Up Nutrition Business (SBN) Network, International Livestock & Research Institute (ILRI) and DTU Skylab Food Lab
Conducted research and analyzed data to inform program decisions through a 6-month Wageningen research project, "Mapping the Food Systems Dashboard’s '42 Policies and Actions' to the innovative food system solutions featured in the online IFSS Portal initiative database" (supervisor Dr Inge Brouwer)
Supported the screening phase for Theme 4; 'Food Environment, Consumer Choice and Retail Promotion for the new Food System for Nutrition Innovation Lab (FSN-IL) at Tuft’s University under the USAID Feed the Future program
Launched the Youth Engagement Network to support young researchers and entrepreneurs in the food systems space share knowledge and build skills around food systems tools and methodologies
Trained Wageningen Masters students in Nutrition & Health students on their Academic Consultancy Training (ACT) research project in sourcing consumer-facing innovations that reduce environmental impact & improve diets.
Junior Consultant
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition – Innovations for Health and Planet
06.2021 - 08.2021
Managed submissions to complement the existing database of innovative solutions
Worked with new functionalities, tools and resources on the portal in the moving to action section
Supported outreach efforts and promotion of the portals use across different groups working in the food system space.
Participated in partner and donor meetings to understand, offering specific expertise on the portal's databased in developing action plans.
Partnerships Lead, former Founder
Freshi
09.2019 - 12.2022
Launched Freshi, a start-up based in Dar es Salaam that directs unsold post-harvest fresh produce from rural small-scale farmers to consumers
Conducted target market research to scope out industry competition, customer segment interviews, and built responsive website
Oversaw advertising and communications, leveraging partnerships (i.e World Food Programme, GAIN, European Central Bank, BU Innovation Lab)
Participated in 9-mo business accelerator at the BUild Innovation Lab around defining Freshi’s Sustainable Business Model and Stakeholder Ecosystem.
AMR Project Coordinator
PA International, PA Europe, PA Indonesia
08.2020 - 06.2021
Developed a global multi-stakeholder platform on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), built website (stopAMR.edu), liaised with EU Institutions, Member States and civil society, and partnering with teams in Indonesia and India
Reported on strategic position papers, conducted interviews, drafted funding proposals and SWOT analyses
Supported senior staff on scientific dossiers related to antimicrobial resistance, sustainable food systems, gene-editing technologies, along with regulatory approvals in the food and feed sector at the EU level
Supervised multiple projects including the OTIFA project, supplying children from Tasikmalaya, Indonesia with fortified mixes through an 8-week intervention program and the CEMARA plastic waste-to-marketable end product project for plastic waste-based 3D printing technology
Case Investigator
Partners in Health (PIH)
04.2020 - 08.2020
Phoned cases of COVID-19 and individuals who may have come in contact with a COVID-19 infected person, documenting symptoms on Salesforce and referred them for testing and various services (i.e social support structures, grocery shopping, testing, clinical care)
Supervised a unit of 20 PIH employees remotely
Clinic Assistant
Boston Medical Center Grow Clinic
12.2019 - 06.2020
Provided compassionate care to children experiencing nutrition deficiencies, organizing events to alleviate hunger among inner-city children
Taught cooking lessons around anti-inflammatory diets using affordable nutritious meals from the food pantry.
Program Manager
Afterschool Program of the Community Service Center at Boston University
05.2019 - 05.2020
Cultivated partnerships with afterschool programs, developing and delivering tutoring, STEM, music, performing arts, and visual arts curricula
Recruited, trained, and mentored 65 peer and site leaders to support success of programs, and volunteers to fill them
Collaborated with other program managers on community engagement (programs, partnerships, transportation, events)
Developed financial literacy program for high school students to accustom them to budgeting, saving, debt, credit score, etc.
Research assistant
Division of Oral Medicine and Dentistry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
05.2018 - 12.2019
Performed 300 hours in clinical research and enhanced my overall college training in research and exposure to oral medicine
Extracted data from medical records to perform basic statistical analyses on patients with oral pharyngeal cancers.
Maintained up-to-date records of research activities and results for future reference.
Intern
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
03.2019 - 08.2019
Authored chapter 1, Global Landscape of Malnutrition in Infants and Young Children, for the Nestle Nutrition Institute Series, Volume 93
Created presentation on malnutrition in children with a focus on India’s malnourished population for Nestle Nutrition Series Workshop in India
Wrote abstracts, analyzed and entered data for 415 documents (project reports, advocacy documents, conference presentations, tool and guidance documents, and datasets) to be included in GAIN’s new online resource center
Provided additional support as needed during the web development process (e.g
Edited testimonials of nutrition deficiency experiences, reviewed Glossary terms on nutrition, highlighting any areas that seem too technical for a general audience).
PHE Educator, Leadership Council, Treasurer
Peer Health Exchange (PHE)
09.2017 - 05.2019
Taught sexual, physical, and mental health education weekly to ninth graders around the greater Boston area
Empowered a class of 20 students to make healthy decisions while having discussions about topics including sex, and communication
Trained new applicants as a member of the PHE Leadership Council on how to best approach health topics and discussions.
Research Assistant and Clinical Observer
Boston Health Care for the Homeless
09.2016 - 12.2018
Collaborated with researchers and scientists to design and execute a health-sensitive research study
Conducted qualitative research study with patients experiencing homelessness on drug usage, health status, and demographics
Performed data analysis, presented findings with graphs and charts, highlight recommendations for practioners
Organized creative arts and crafts guided patients on how to use technology and smart-phones.
Education
M.S. Nutritional Epidemiology and Public Health - Food Systems
Wageningen University and Research
05.2023
B.S. Biomedical Science - International Public Health
Mapping the Food Systems Dashboard’s “42 Policies and Actions” to the innovative food system solutions featured in the online IFSS Portal initiative database
Scoping Review: Food Environment, food choice, diets, and nutrition outcomes of pastoralists in Africa (paper in progress)
Diet Quality Questionnaire (DQQ) indicator scores and association with sociodemographic characteristics of pastoralist women of reproductive age (15-49) in two sub-counties in Isiolo County, Kenya (MSc thesis)
GAIN Working Paper on Co-developing responsible ecosystems for food systems change (paper in progress)
The Global Landscape of Malnutrition in Infants and Young Children for the Nestle Nutrition Institute Series, Volume 93 (PubMed, 2020)
Vitamin D status in patients with oropharyngeal cancer: Association with HPV status and prognosis (Oral Diseases, 2021)
Food Systems Thinking around Buguruni Informal Fresh Food Market Rehabilitation using the IFSS Portal’s backcasting approach (Blog Link, 2022)
Trainings and Workshops
12/2023 – Co-creation a vision GAIN’s Food Fortification Innovation Challenge
03/2023 – Wageningen Food Systems Course on Sustainable Healthier Diets: using the backcasting methodology for food systems thinking
12/2022 – Induction on Intercultural Communication in Food Systems
<ul><li>Company Overview: Group Company of PUIG, Spain</li><li>Team Leadership & Process Excellence: Organised the transformation of the Finance & Accounts function, establishing performance-driven goals, and embedding a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Drove operational efficiency through process redesigns, SOP implementation and optimal resource deployment, leading to measurable improvements in turnaround time and accuracy.</li><li>Strategic Partnering with CXOs: Acted as a key advisor to the CEO, CFO, and other CXOs on business planning, pricing strategies, and business model pivots to support scale-up and profitability. Contributed to investor communications with data-backed insights to enhance stakeholder confidence and secure strategic funding.</li><li>Cross-Functional & Global Stakeholder Management: Functioned as the strategic finance business partner to cross-functional heads and the PUIG global finance team, aligning local execution with global financial strategies and compliance requirements.</li><li>ERP Transformation & System Automation: Led end-to-end ERP reimplementation to address system gaps, enforce role-based controls, and automate core finance processes—resulting in enhanced data accuracy, faster reporting and improved internal controls.</li><li>Costing, Inventory & Profitability Optimization: Designed and implemented plant-level costing models to ensure accurate COGS determination. Improved inventory management across pricing, consumption tracking, and aging analysis—enabling better working capital control and cost efficiency.</li><li>Manufacturing Finance & Statutory Compliance: Supervised end-to-end accounting for manufacturing operations and ensured full statutory compliance.</li><li>Financial Reporting, MIS & Profitability Analytics: Delivered accurate and timely monthly MIS reports, including P&L, Balance Sheet and KPI dashboards with deep-dive variance analysis across stores, business verticals, and geographies. Supported board-level decision-making through insightful presentations on financial health and business performance.</li><li>Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Planning: Led the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and rolling forecasts, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and market dynamics. Monitored key financial metrics to enable business decisions and proactive cost management.</li><li>Statutory, Internal & Tax Audit Management: Finalized standalone and consolidated financials under Ind AS and IFRS, ensured timely group reporting and compliance with international standards. Delivered clean and timely closures of statutory, tax, and internal audits in coordination with Big 4 auditors. Strengthened audit readiness through pre-audit diagnostics and rectification of recurring control gaps.</li><li>Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management: Ensured end-to-end compliance which includes ROC, RBI, FEMA, Income Tax, GST, Transfer Pricing, DTAA, and Customs. Reviewed cross-border contracts and transactions to ensure arm’s length pricing, accurate TDS application, and proper documentation under Transfer Pricing regulations.</li><li>Commercial Negotiation & Contract Governance: Led commercial negotiations and structured deals with vendors and franchisees. Reviewed key business contracts to ensure financial viability, risk protection, and compliance with regulatory standards.</li><li>Treasury & External Commercial Borrowing (ECB): Managed fund planning and liquidity management including ECB drawdowns, bank negotiations, and interest optimization. Improved working capital cycles through proactive cash flow forecasting and receivables control.</li><li>Internal Controls & Governance Framework: Led organization-wide reviews of internal control systems, identified process gaps, and redesigned or implemented over 40 SOPs and IFCs. Established a governance structure for financial discipline, risk mitigation, and policy compliance across departments.</li></ul> at Kama Ayurveda Pvt. Ltd. & PUIG India Pvt. Ltd.<ul><li>Company Overview: Group Company of PUIG, Spain</li><li>Team Leadership & Process Excellence: Organised the transformation of the Finance & Accounts function, establishing performance-driven goals, and embedding a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Drove operational efficiency through process redesigns, SOP implementation and optimal resource deployment, leading to measurable improvements in turnaround time and accuracy.</li><li>Strategic Partnering with CXOs: Acted as a key advisor to the CEO, CFO, and other CXOs on business planning, pricing strategies, and business model pivots to support scale-up and profitability. Contributed to investor communications with data-backed insights to enhance stakeholder confidence and secure strategic funding.</li><li>Cross-Functional & Global Stakeholder Management: Functioned as the strategic finance business partner to cross-functional heads and the PUIG global finance team, aligning local execution with global financial strategies and compliance requirements.</li><li>ERP Transformation & System Automation: Led end-to-end ERP reimplementation to address system gaps, enforce role-based controls, and automate core finance processes—resulting in enhanced data accuracy, faster reporting and improved internal controls.</li><li>Costing, Inventory & Profitability Optimization: Designed and implemented plant-level costing models to ensure accurate COGS determination. Improved inventory management across pricing, consumption tracking, and aging analysis—enabling better working capital control and cost efficiency.</li><li>Manufacturing Finance & Statutory Compliance: Supervised end-to-end accounting for manufacturing operations and ensured full statutory compliance.</li><li>Financial Reporting, MIS & Profitability Analytics: Delivered accurate and timely monthly MIS reports, including P&L, Balance Sheet and KPI dashboards with deep-dive variance analysis across stores, business verticals, and geographies. Supported board-level decision-making through insightful presentations on financial health and business performance.</li><li>Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Planning: Led the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and rolling forecasts, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and market dynamics. Monitored key financial metrics to enable business decisions and proactive cost management.</li><li>Statutory, Internal & Tax Audit Management: Finalized standalone and consolidated financials under Ind AS and IFRS, ensured timely group reporting and compliance with international standards. Delivered clean and timely closures of statutory, tax, and internal audits in coordination with Big 4 auditors. Strengthened audit readiness through pre-audit diagnostics and rectification of recurring control gaps.</li><li>Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management: Ensured end-to-end compliance which includes ROC, RBI, FEMA, Income Tax, GST, Transfer Pricing, DTAA, and Customs. Reviewed cross-border contracts and transactions to ensure arm’s length pricing, accurate TDS application, and proper documentation under Transfer Pricing regulations.</li><li>Commercial Negotiation & Contract Governance: Led commercial negotiations and structured deals with vendors and franchisees. Reviewed key business contracts to ensure financial viability, risk protection, and compliance with regulatory standards.</li><li>Treasury & External Commercial Borrowing (ECB): Managed fund planning and liquidity management including ECB drawdowns, bank negotiations, and interest optimization. Improved working capital cycles through proactive cash flow forecasting and receivables control.</li><li>Internal Controls & Governance Framework: Led organization-wide reviews of internal control systems, identified process gaps, and redesigned or implemented over 40 SOPs and IFCs. Established a governance structure for financial discipline, risk mitigation, and policy compliance across departments.</li></ul> at Kama Ayurveda Pvt. Ltd. & PUIG India Pvt. Ltd.
<ul><li>Address customer enquiries and complaints with professionalism, achieving a resolution rate of over 95%.</li><li>Process financial transactions including NEFT/RTGS, term deposits, loan disbursals, and gold loans in adherence to bank policies.</li><li>Promote digital banking services to customers, increasing branch efficiency and digital adoption.</li><li>Support clerical operations including data entry, documentation, and record updates in core banking systems.</li><li>Exceeded monthly cross-sell targets while ensuring customer service standards aligned with audit and compliance norms.</li></ul> at IDBI BANK LTD<ul><li>Address customer enquiries and complaints with professionalism, achieving a resolution rate of over 95%.</li><li>Process financial transactions including NEFT/RTGS, term deposits, loan disbursals, and gold loans in adherence to bank policies.</li><li>Promote digital banking services to customers, increasing branch efficiency and digital adoption.</li><li>Support clerical operations including data entry, documentation, and record updates in core banking systems.</li><li>Exceeded monthly cross-sell targets while ensuring customer service standards aligned with audit and compliance norms.</li></ul> at IDBI BANK LTD