Zaha joined the IIJ as a Communications Assistant in 2024, she is a dedicated professional in design thinking and communications strategies. She holds a BA degree in Product Design from Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan, Italy. She is passionate about women empowerment, human rights, and equality. Prior to joining the IIJ, Zaha worked in design and community management between Italy and the Middle East.
Fares joined the IIJ as a Programme Assistant in 2024, he is a dedicated professional in International Development, Public Diplomacy and Capacity Development. Holding a Master’s degree in Diplomacy from MEDAC-University of Malta and a Master’s in Process Engineering from the University of Boumerdes in Algeria, he brings more than 10 years of expertise to his role. Fares previously worked as an Administrator II at the University of Malta.
In addition, he served as the Local Engagement Coordinator of the TechGirls Program with the Legacy International. He also worked as a Grants Officer for World Learning and as a Capacity Development Specialist for various NGOs and youth empowerment initiatives.
Justin joined the IIJ in June 2023. His professional experience spans both the public and private sectors in several varied roles, having experience working as a Police Officer in Malta and training with the British Armed Forces in Scotland.
His most recent position was Operations Manager with a private company where he was responsible for all logistics, HR, and strategizing process improvements. Prior to this, he also worked with a private intelligence company based in the UK where he was tasked with processing raw intelligence from various OSINT sources and researching and writing reports on human trafficking and arms smuggling in the Mediterranean and Caucasus regions.
Justin also held various positions within the fields of recruitment, HR, and sales with both local and international companies.
Justin has both a Master’s degree in Global Security: Strategy and Defense from the University of Glasgow and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Malta. He also holds certificates in the Prevention of Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism.
Hollie joined the IIJ team on April 2023 , and has been appointed as Financial Assistant within the IIJ Accounting team. Hollie got her start in the accounting industry in 2016 while also doing her studies for the ACCA Diploma. During her work experiences throughout the years Hollie has learned and advanced her accounting skills while always growing, evolving, and never saying no to new tasks at hand. Prior to joining the IIJ team within her 7-year working experience Hollie worked both in a Law Firm and a Pharmaceutical company having gained exposure to the Law Industry with working closely to Lawyers and their appointed clients, while on the other hand being exposed to the Pharmaceutical Industry. This made up for a broad and diverse working experience.
Karl joined the IIJ team in February 2023. Karl has a diverse background in administration, data protection, security service, and law enforcement. His most recent position as a Manager of Data Protection and Administration within a government entity demonstrates his experience in managing confidential information and ensuring compliance with data protection laws.
Prior to that, Karl held the role of Operations Manager within the security services industry, indicating his ability to manage complex operations and maintain a high level of security. His previous experience as a police officer with the Malta Police Force further highlights his ability to handle high-pressure situations and his knowledge of law enforcement procedures.
Karl’s educational background includes a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Suffolk, which provides him with a strong foundation in business management principles and practices. Overall, Karl’s diverse skill set, and experience make him a valuable asset to the IIJ team in his role as an Administrative Officer.
Kyra joined the IIJ team as a Human Resources Officer in October 2022. Prior to joining the IIJ, Kyra worked as a Senior Manager of Human Resources, Training, and Administration within a government entity forming part of the Office of the Prime Minister in Malta. Prior to that, Kyra held the role of HR, Logistics, and Purchasing Manager within the manufacturing industry. Kyra holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Malta and is currently reading for a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management and Training from the University of Leicester.
Robert joined the IIJ in August 2022 as a Programme Assistant and supports the design, implementation, and analysis of various IIJ capacity-building programmes. Robert brings extensive experience in events management through his previous role in the Maltese hospitality sector.
Selima joined the IIJ in 2022 as a Programme Assistant. She previously served as a Senior Policy Officer at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Tunisia, where she managed the Rule of Law and Security portfolio. Prior to that, she worked as a Programme Manager in several NGOs In Tunisia on democracy, good governance, and rule of law-related matters. Selima holds a master’s degree in Public Law and Political Science from the Faculty of Juridical, Political and Social Sciences of Tunis.
Ali joined the IIJ team as Outreach and Communications manager in May 2022. Prior to joining the IIJ, Ali worked as a cultural manager at the French Institute in Jordan. He also served in different international organisations specialising in cultural diplomacy and intercultural communications. Ali holds a Bachelor of Arts in Italian Language and Literature from the University of Jordan and a Master’s degree in Multilingual Communication from the University of Liège in Belgium.
Quentin joined the IIJ in October 2022 as the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Manager. He is responsible for developing, designing, and implementing the Institute’s M&E Strategy. Previously, he served at the European Judicial Training Network as Head of Office, supervising the grants’ full life cycle and institutional negotiations with the European Union, overseeing the operations pertaining to judicial training activities life cycle, coordinating the activities of the Network’s governance board, bolstering the corporate strategy, institutional partnerships and internal processes.
Quentin brings to the IIJ 17 years of experience in managerial functions in the judicial training field and proof-records in successful grants, judicial training projects, and capacity-building actions throughout their full life cycle, from the needs analysis phase through the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation practices of knowledge sharing activities. He holds a degree in Political Science from Louvain and Executive Master in Management from Solvay University in Belgium.
Anna joined the IIJ in May 2021 as Grants & Resource Mobilisation Manager. She is responsible for the Institute’s fundraising efforts and donor relationship management. From 2014, Anna worked in communications roles in the peacebuilding sector, at the Alliance for Peacebuilding and Mediators Beyond Borders International in the United States. In 2018 she transitioned to working in Bangladesh’s news media sector. Anna holds an LL.M in International Law with International Relations from the University of Kent Brussels School of International Studies and a degree in International Relations from University American College Skopje.
Adriana Fenech has been appointed as the IIJ Financial Officer since April 2016, she has seen the organisation grow has adapted to the needs of the IIJ as it evolved over the years. Ms Fenech brings on board years of managerial knowledge, particularly in accounting and finance. Prior to her appointment at the IIJ, she held positions within the private sector as consultant and financial manager as well as senior positions at the Ernst and Young and National Audit Office in Malta.
Adriana graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours) degree from the University of Malta in 2001 (MQF Level 7) and later became a Certified Public Accountant and also obtained a Practicing Certificate in Auditing. Her work experience has seen her undertake a variety of responsibilities ranging from setup, management and coordination of quality systems, to planning, managing and reporting on numerous public-sector system audits.
Ms Fenech manages the IIJ financial function including IIJ annual budgets and individual donor budgets, she also liaises with the IIJ auditors and manages all aspects of the audit, she also manages the financial reporting of the IIJ.
France joined the IIJ Team as a Programme Assistant in September 2019. She supports various programmes, including the IIJ Global Central Authorities Initiative and the IIJ Returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters Initiative, while providing assistance to the Procurement Officer. She previously served as a Manager for international education companies offering study abroad and cultural exchange worldwide. She also acted as an Operations Team Leader during the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union and for EU’s Fourth High Level Edition of the Our Ocean Conference. She has a Master’s degree in Intercultural Negotiations.
Abibou joined the IIJ team in 2018 as a Programme Assistant. Previously, he served as Cultural Mediator and Programme Assistant with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM Malta) for more than five years. In 1998, he was amongst a cadre of French foreign language teachers sent to Nigeria to provide technical support under a bilateral agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Republic of Benin. He has a degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Didactics), and post-graduate awards in Teaching French as a Foreign Language, and Commercial Translations.
Reinhard joined the IIJ as Director of Administration and Outreach in October 2014. A member of the Senior Management Team, he is in charge of IIJ administration, financial planning and management, and outreach, and has assisted with the development of a vision and strategic plan to guide the IIJ.
Reinhard previously served as Deputy Head, Transnational Threats Department (TNTD/ATU), Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), supervising counter terrorism programmes and managing a team of ten international staff members. He previously worked in the Representative Office of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ramallah (Palestinian Territories), and the United Nations Organisation on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in both its Vienna headquarters and the Tashkent (Uzbekistan) Regional Office.
