Green Cross International Staff

Alexander Likhotal

President of Green Cross International since 1996, Alexander Likhotal was born in Moscow, 1950.

PhD in Political Science and History from Moscow Institute of International Relations (1972), Mr. Likhotal started his academic career as a lecturer at the Moscow State Institute for International Affairs, and later became senior research fellow at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR. In 1988 he became Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the Diplomatic Academy, and in the same year was appointed Vice-Rector.

During the time of Gorbachev's perestroika, already being a well-known expert in European security, he became the Head of the European security desk at the International Department of the Central Committee for the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (top Soviet foreign policy co-ordination body), later becoming Head of the Consultants Group, adviser/speechwriter unit working directly for the Soviet leadership.

In 1991 Mr. Likhotal was appointed Deputy Spokesman and Adviser to the President of the USSR. He remained with President Gorbachev (after his resignation) as his adviser and spokesman and worked at the Gorbachev Foundation as the International and Media Director. He was a visiting professor at the Northeastern University, Boston, USA (1996-1998), Research Associate at the institute of European Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow (1992 - 1997), and Associate Editor of Security Dialogue Journal, Oslo, Norway (1994-2000). He is also a member of the Club of Rome , a councillor at the World Future Council and serves as adviser to the Club of Madrid.

Pierre Muller

Pierre Muller is the Vice-President of Green Cross International. In addition to his role at Green Cross, Pierre is presently also partner of a PR Company in Geneva. Pierre started his career as a broker at Citibank in Geneva, Switzerland. He then went on to study management in Switzerland, Germany and the USA. Upon his return to Geneva, he assumed the position of Director in a graphic industry company and served as a professional delegate to the Executive Board of the Swiss Professional Association. He went on to be elected Mayor of Geneva in 1995 and served as Head of the Finances and Retirement Fund Department for 12 years. During the same period, Pierre also served as a Board Member within several public and semi-public entities.

Adam Koniuszewski

Adam Koniuszewski is the Chief Operating Officer of Green Cross International. Adam holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Concordia University (Montreal) where he also completed a graduate diploma in business. Adam is a Canadian Chartered Accountant and a Certified Financial Analyst. Adam has over 16 years of international business experience including senior managerial roles within global corporations and business consultancies where he was responsible for strategy and business development, regulatory and business risk management, public relations, communication and government relations at the national / EU level. His areas of expertise include the development and oversight of the corporate communication strategy including corporate social responsibility program development. Adam is fluent in English, French and Polish.

Adam is actively involved in social and humanitarian projects. At GCI Adam is responsible for the development and realization of the long term development strategy, the coordination of GC programmes within the structures of GCI and the day-to-day operations of the organisation.

Adam is an adept of ultra-distance marathons, triathlons and cycling events. He is also an avid skier and mountaineer.

Marianne Berner

After acquiring a diploma in Modern Languages, Marianne studied Tourism in 1996 and qualified as a travel agent. Due to her previous field expertise in both the educational field and event coordination, Marianne is now Head of Administration and Operations at the Green Cross International, and as such, is responsible for the entire Geneva HQ office management. Marianne joined the team in January 2005 out of a sense of deep social conscience and fraternal duty.

Ivelina Gueorguieva

Ivelina joined the GCI team in March 2008 as Project and Administrative Officer supporting the Head of Administration. Ivelina is in charge of the follow up of the accession procedure for the new GC National Organisations and the consolidation of the existing GCI network worldwide. She has a Masters degree in Political Sciences and International Relations, as well as a Masters in Advanced Studies in Europeans Studies from the University of Geneva. Following a short-term position at the Council of the EU in Brussels, she decided to dedicate herself to humanitarian and environmental issues.

Xavier Guijarro

Xavier read Philosophy and Economics at the University of Barcelona in Spain, and followed PhD studies in Multicultural Education at the University of San Francisco, California. In addition, he also has several classical and modern language degrees. He has led important cultural projects contributing to bringing about a better social order in New Zealand, Polynesia, Central and South America, and was involved in NGO work in the Philippines, India and Guatemala, most of the time for the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction. He served the United Nations as an official interpreter in Nairobi, Cairo and Bangkok, among other locations, and then started his own cultural enterprise in Barcelona as an event organizer which led to a close collaboration with Green Cross in 2004. He has been active both in Green Cross Spain and Green Cross International ever since, where he is currently coordinating the Environmental Education and the Earth Dialogues Programmes.

Emma Dayan

Emma joined the GCI team in November 2009 to coordinate one of GCI’s newest partnerships. Following a degree in engineering, she completed a Masters degree in renewable energy run by the EUREC Agency. As a member of the low carbon team at the Building Research Establishment in the UK she worked on numerous small-scale renewable energy projects. Since then she has worked with a number of NGOs in Europe. Emma is originally from London and speaks fluent French and Spanish.

Interns

GCI is grateful for the generous dedication, support and enthusiasm of interns, who add great value to the work of GCI worldwide.

Click here for the full list of past and present GCI interns.