Supporters

Akvo staff | Supervisory board | Supporters | Volunteers | Alumni

Supporters are people who work full-time or part-time on Akvo, but who are not employed by Akvo.

Caroline Figuères IICD, www.iicd.org
Akvo has benefited from Caroline's broad experience in policy-making, project formulation and financing in the international development sector. At the heart of an outstanding network, she combines expertise in information technology adoption paths with substantial experience of capacity building related to water and sanitation. Now the managing director of the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD), she leads a team that specialises in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) as a tool for sustainable development. She was previously head of the department of urban water and sanitation at Unesco-IHE.

Paul van Koppen Kopkonsult, www.kopconsult.nl
Paul is a highly regarded advisor, project manager and facilitator on international water issues. Akvo has benefited from his broad connections and sense of focus on the priorities facing the sector globally. His current work includes managing the support group for the European Union Water Initiative's Africa Working Group, workshops for DGIS, the Dutch ministry for development cooperation, and high level representation between the Asian Development Bank and the Dutch water sector, on behalf of the Netherlands Water Partnership. Paul was previously director of IRC, International Water and Sanitation Centre, and established Akvo's now blossoming partnership with this important institution.

Frederik Claasen, Akvo acting chief financial officer and consultant at Aidenvironment, www.aidenvironment.org
Frederik is a former banker, with extensive experience of both central and branch operations at ABN Amro. He brings to Akvo considerable financial planning acumen, and experience in making not-for-profits attractive to external funding groups. He was previously head of the ABN Amro Corporate Social Responsibility programme, reporting to the board.

Nick Dickinson, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre www.irc.nl
Nick works with Akvo to open new flows of knowledge sharing between the Akvopedia and IRC's team of water and sanitation knowledge experts in The Hague, Netherlands. This includes handling information licensing issues that are required to ensure only open source material is published on the Akvopedia. He is programme officer for the Information and Communication section at IRC and has authored and edited numerous publications focused on water, society and development. He holds an MSc in water science, policy and management from Oxford University and degrees in chemistry/biology and political geography from University College Utrecht, Netherlands.

Jaap Pels, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre www.irc.nl
Jaap's vast knowledge on the art of managing and sharing water and sanitation knowledge is influencing the evolution and focus of the Akvopedia. He is senior programme officer for Knowledge Management at IRC, International Water and Sanitation Centre. Akvo will be drawing on his reputation for creative thinking, and testing new approaches related to knowledge exchange. He holds a degree in Molecular Schience from Wageningen Universiteit.

David Castellano, sanitation project assistant, WASTE, www.waste.nl
David is helping us populate the Akvopedia with content focused on sanitation best practice and appropriate technologies. WASTE is refining Akvo Direct and Akvo RSR to deliver effective project and fund matchmaking and simplified reporting. It is also leading a process of content exchange for the Akvopedia, so both Akvo and WASTE extend open knowledge focused on sanitation.

Anna Norén, Fundació Agbar, www.fundacionagbar.org
Anna is one of the best-regarded communications managers in the international water and sanitation sector. She has been a supporter of Akvo since the summer of 2007 and helps us to have open, positive lines of communication in place with key media and influencer audiences. She has worked across many prestigious development organisations including Fundació Agbar, SIWI, SIDA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Chris Amsinger, Advisor, Partnership Development & International Campaigns
Coming from the Dutch banking sector, Chris applies her extensive experience in sustainability, communication and public relations from her tenure at ABN AMRO Bank toward helping Akvo develop long term partnerships with the private sector and others. She is also a key team member in the international rollout of the Walking For Water Campaign held each year in conjunction with UN World Water Day on the 22nd of March.