Stefania joined SDDirect in January 2022 as Head of Programmes, responsible for day-to-day programme operations, risk management and technical delivery of contracted projects. She also oversees key areas such as compliance, safeguarding, duty of care, and safety & security across the organisation.
Passionate about social justice, Stefania has more than fifteen years of international development experience including managing, designing, and providing technical oversight to programmes funded by the UK Government, European Union, World Bank, United Nations and others. She brings a strong track record of complex project cycle management, strategy development, and team leadership.
Stefania has worked in a number of institutions including within the UN system and NGO/non-profit sector. Most recently she was country programme manager with Save the Children UK, where she oversaw the delivery of a large portfolio of projects in Asia and the Middle East regions. This included dedicated focus on a £50m project to prevent malnutrition in Bangladesh. Earlier in her career, Stefania was a technical officer for the UN’s Food & Agriculture Organization where she worked on strengthening approaches to social safeguards and gender equality. During this time, Stefania also lived for a number of years in Bangladesh where she was team lead and head of the Chittagong Hill Tracts office, responsible for delivering food security projects and supporting the Government’s rural development strategy.
Stefania received an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Oxford and holds a double BA degree in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. She has co-authored a book on the history and political economy of large natural resource revenues in Latin American and Africa, including effects on economic growth, development of institutions, social cohesion and conflict.
Outside of work, Stefania enjoys travelling, playing football, and exploring the outdoors.
