Our team

Dr. Oliver JÜTERSONKE has been President of Coginta since 2023. A researcher, lecturer and conflict analyst, he has over 20 years' experience in peacebuilding, humanitarian action and sustainable development. Oliver is a political scientist by training, with a specialisation in critical security studies. He focuses on applied research methodologies, foresight and strategic anticipation, the facilitation of organisational reflection processes, and the design and delivery of training curricula and analytical tools. Between 2008 and 2022, Oliver was Head of Research for the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

Dr. Luna IACOPINI has been a member of the Coginta board since 2019. She is responsible for international affairs at the University of Applied Sciences - Haute École Spécialisée de Suisse Occidentale (HES-SO). A Doctor of Education, Luna has 15 years of experience implementing educational programs and partnerships in Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. She is a member of the Technical Commission of the Fédération Genevoise de Coopération (FGC) and of the Regional Commission of Experts of the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie.

Dr. Alexandre DORMEIER FREIRE has been a member of the Coginta committee since 2019. He is a teaching and research fellow at The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, where he serves as director of programs in Development Policy and Practice and Associate Researcher at the Center for Conflict, Development and Peace Studies. Holder of a doctorate from the University of Geneva, his recent research focuses on the importance of family structures in mitigating violence in fragile contexts.

Dr. Silke GRABHERR joined the Coginta committee in 2020. She directs the French-speaking University Center for Forensic Medicine and is head of department at the Vaud University Hospital Center (CHUV) and the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG). She is also a full professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva and the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of the University of Lausanne. She published the Atlas of Postmortem Angiography, as lead editor, and trained teams on all continents in this field. It is considered a reference in forensic imaging. As a forensic doctor, she is called upon as an expert in several national and international cases and participates in various humanitarian missions.

Sébastien GOURAUD is the executive director of Coginta. Holder of university degrees in law, political science and international security, he is a specialist in public policies on internal security and justice and security reform processes in fragile states. He served with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Sudan and then joined the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) as a “rule of law, justice and security " program manager. With extensive experience on technical assistance and project management in Chad, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, he participated in the creation of Coginta and has ensured its development since September 2011.

Dr. Dominique WISLER is co-founder of Coginta. Specializing in local security issues and methodologies, he develops security analysis tools and conducts thematic and impact monitoring studies in Coginta's areas of activity. He is the author of studies and comparative works on public security in sub-Saharan Africa. Dominique also leads project development and technical assistance missions related to community policing and mining security. He has a doctorate in political science and a degree in philosophy.

Jérôme BERNARD has been responsible for the administrative and financial management of Coginta since 2017. For more than 20 years, he has been involved in transition management processes both in the non-profit sector and in the private sector for groups on a human scale and with a European vocation. or global, with a focus on financial and organizational accountability. Jérôme holds a Master's degree in management and development of small and medium-sized businesses.

Hervé Gonsolin has been Coginta's Program Director since 2024, having previously served as Program Manager and Senior Technical Advisor since September 2021. He has over 25 years of experience in various areas focused on security sector reform, reduction gun violence and community engagement. Previously, he was Senior Program Coordinator for Sub-Saharan Africa at DCAF Geneva. He also served as Special Advisor on Peace and Security at the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue. As an independent consultant, Hervé Gonsolin has provided expertise in the identification, formulation, monitoring and evaluation of projects and programs in countries such as Guinea, Tanzania and Nigeria. His professional background also includes roles as project manager and program coordinator for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and non-governmental organizations in emergency humanitarian contexts.

Bertrand CAVALLIER is technical advisor for Coginta. A graduate of the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr, a graduate of the War School, he spent his military career in the French national gendarmerie. He exercised numerous
operational commands, but also served in high-level staffs and in training structures. In particular, he served as commander of the national training center for the gendarmerie forces in St-Astier. A European expert, he contributed to the development of crisis management concepts for the European Union and to the creation and development of the European Gendarmerie Force. Since 1993, he has participated in the design and implementation of numerous projects, mainly European, for the benefit of internal security forces, in Cambodia, Romania, Ukraine, the Balkans, Jordan, and since 2014, under the banner of Coginta, Africa.

Michel COAT has been a technical advisor to Coginta since 2024, after having successively held the positions of project manager since 2018 (notably in Ivory Coast and Chad) as well as those of program director at headquarters in Geneva. A graduate of the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr (international relations major), with significant experience in development aid, Michel is a specialist in security and defense issues who has a rich and long executive career. manager in France but also internationally.

Marguerite TEWA CAMARA holds a diploma of in-depth studies in agri-food engineering. With more than 15 years of professional experience within non-governmental organizations and national institutions in Guinea, she is a specialist in the management of cooperation projects and procurement. She was notably responsible for security sector reform, decentralization and deconcentration programs. She joined Coginta in 2018.

Yahaya NOUHOU holds a master's degree in management, finance and accounting. He has more than 15 years of experience in national and international non-governmental organizations and bilateral and multilateral cooperation agencies in Niger, Chad and the United States. For ten years, he was responsible for operations at the United Nations for development, on projects in governance, justice, security, rule of law, resilience, demobilization and reintegration. He has been working with Coginta since 2019.

Hippolyte HARKITE SIB is a graduate in public affairs management and a doctoral student in geopolitics. He has nearly 15 years of professional experience, including 6 within Coginta. In particular, he coordinated cooperation and development projects focused on community policing and access to law and justice in Guinea. Since 2006, Hippolyte has contributed to several development and international exchange programs in Africa and the United States.

Salifou OUEDRAOGO holds a university degree in management sciences. For more than 20 years, he was administrative and financial manager within development programs (Togo, Chad, etc.) in the areas of livestock, justice, the rule of law and good governance or reform. of the security sector. Its skills include the development of procedure manuals and internal control and risk management tools and even procurement. He joined Coginta in 2021.

Appolinaire DOUANODJI has a degree in geography and has a Master's degree in business administration management, project management option. He specializes in steering, setting up and organizing development projects on issues of social cohesion and local, judicial and security governance. He has 17 years of professional experience in Chad in the area of ​​development and promotion of human rights. Appolinaire has worked for Coginta since 2016.

Emmanuel KAMATE LIMASI is a graduate of the Higher Institute of Rural Development of Bukavu and a specialist in planning and management of development projects in rural areas. He worked for more than 30 years in the management and coordination of humanitarian emergency programs (assistance to those displaced by war and those affected by natural disasters) for several non-governmental organizations. He joined Coginta in 2021.

Clement AAPENGNUO has worked for Coginta since 2021. A graduate in conflict analysis and resolution, he has extensive experience in conflict transformation, peacebuilding and facilitating community dialogues. Clement has worked for over 23 years on community conflicts in northern Ghana, linked to questions of power, social identity or resources.

Vanina ECKERT has been a program manager at Coginta since 2022, after having held various positions in the field since 2018, including the functions of project manager and project manager in the Republic of Guinea. A lawyer by training, she holds a Master's degree in international and European law from the University of Strasbourg (France) and an LLM in human rights from the University of Lund (Sweden). She has worked for various organizations, including the Danish Institute for Human Rights (Denmark), the UN Global Compact (USA), and the Council of Europe (France), capitalizing on a wealth of experience in the field of human rights, capacity building, and project management.

Romain LÜSCHER has been a program manager at Coginta since 2024, after having worked for four years within the federal administration in Bern, as well as for the United Nations in Kyrgyzstan and Sudan. A graduate of political science and international relations, he has extensive experience in peace policy, project management as well as political and security analysis.

Mireille WIDMER joined Coginta in 2024 after a multifaceted career centred on peace and development issues. She worked among other on small arms control at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, implemented community security projects with UNDP in Haiti and Somalia and a rule of law project in the Central African Republic, and designed and conducted an academic study on local security governance in Nepal. She holds a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Sydney, and a PhD in Development Studies from the University of Sussex (Institute of Development Studies).

Ilaria BRACCHETTI joined Coginta in January 2022 as a programme officer, after working for more than 15 years as a project manager in the field in Africa (Mozambique, Tanzania and Angola) and Latin America (Brazil) with international NGOs. Ilaria has a law degree and a postgraduate master course on international cooperation, as well as additional training courses on PM, M&E and a professional certificate in Euro-project designing. She has a proven track record in project and grant management, as well as sound skills in governance, capacity building and human rights.

Frédéric WASMER joined Coginta in 2023 as communications manager. Holder of a Master's degree in Socioeconomics obtained at the University of Geneva, Frédéric also followed a course in graphics and visual communication. Particularly interested in issues related to international cooperation and development, he has sought to combine his skills in positions within NGOs and international organizations since 2015. He has notably worked as a communications officer for the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Mélanie FILIPPELLI joined the Coginta teams in December 2022, as an administrative and HR assistant. Mélanie has extensive experience in administrative and HR support acquired in the private sector, mainly in Switzerland. She is notably in charge of the deployment and contracting of long/short term experts to different countries. She is also an office manager, supporting finances at headquarters level.

Solène DEBOVE has a degree in Economics and Management. She first worked in international groups specializing in aeronautics and then luxury as part of the implementation of financial and industrial reporting processes. In 2022, she joined Coginta as a management controller and supports financial managers in different country offices in ensuring compliance with the organization's financial and administrative procedures.

Derya OZBAHAR joined Coginta in 2023. A versatile management controller with federal certification training, she specializes in finance and accounting. She has over 10 years of experience in demanding business environments requiring strong organizational and analytical skills.