Candidate Information

Confirmation of two newly recruited trustees and appointment of an NGC member – May 2023

ANNEX B: PROFILES OF THE NEWLY RECRUITED NGC MEMBER

Brief Profile:

An MA volunteer, Jon spent his professional career as a diplomat, civil servant and senior manager in the Norwegian and international aid system. He served as Director General of NORAD from 2015-2019 and is currently Chair of Sex og Politikk, the Norwegian Member Association. The expertise he brings to the board includes the international aid system, risk management and programme delivery. He is currently living in Norway and has also spent a number of years in Tanzania, Zambia and France.

Letter of Intent:

I am strongly motivated to devote more time and energy to the international fight to protect and expand sexual and reproductive rights.

Having spent my professional career as a diplomat, civil servant and senior manager in the Norwegian and international aid system, I have decided to devote my time as a retiree to voluntary work.

SRHR, children’s rights and the rights of people with disabilities to life changing assistive technologies, are the three areas I have prioritized. In all these areas, there is both a domestic and an international angle to the work.

I bring to the work my analytical capacity, my insight into the international aid system, my leadership and managerial skills, and my experience of working on multicultural contexts, including more than a decade of living in Africa.

My motivation for SRHR stems both from a life long engagement in women’s rights (the fight to legalize abortion was an important part of the political battles in my youth), and my own experience as a gay man becoming an adult when homosexuality was still illegal in Norway. At a time when the hard-won rights are under attack in many countries, and on the global scene, strong engagement from both old and young is needed.

Soon turning 70, I remain motivated to share experience and insight with the younger people who must be given space to shape their future.

IPPF being the organization it is, with a very strong “southern” membership, I also see the potential for it being the vanguard in the global localization debate and practice, showing both in words and practise how the shift of power can make all of us stronger. 

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Brief Profile:

An MA volunteer, Patrick is no stranger to IPPF having worked in the Africa Regional Office from 2009-2020 as Programme Advisor – Financial & Operations Management, providing technical assistance to the regional Member Associations. He is now the Managing Director of Mwebesa Language Services, leading on business development and human resource management. Patrick brings significant finance experience to the board along with resource mobilization and risk management. He lives in Uganda and has also spent time in Belgium, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda and Kenya.

Letter of Intent:

My name is Patrick Mwebesa, I am a Chartered Accountant, Fellow of ACCA, also a freelance translator and interpreter, mainly English to French and French to English. I am the managing director of Mwebesa Language Services, based in Kampala, Uganda.

I have been a volunteer of Reproductive Health Uganda since 2020 when my job at IPPF ended:

I learnt English first as a child in Uganda and then French from the age of ten in Belgium. I have been bilingual for over forty years todate.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from l’université de Liège, Belgium. I also passed the Test d’Evaluation du Français (TEF) Canada in 2017. I am a member of the East Africa Interpreters & Translators Association (EAITA) since 2021.

I have worked in bilingual (English & French) environments for over twenty years of my professional career, mainly in Rwanda and Kenya.

I also have over 25 years’ experience in the areas of auditing, accounting and financial management and technical assistance.

I worked for international audit firms from 1997 to 2004 and 2008-2009 where I gained significant audit experience. At IPPF I worked as a Programme Advisor – Financial & Operations Management, providing technical assistance to IPPF Africa Region’s Member Associations, ensuring effective accounting and finance management systems are developed and maintained. Assisting Member Associations (MAs) in implementing and strengthening internal financial control procedures in accordance with recognized best practices, and the terms and conditions of the IPPF Membership responsibilities. Helping MAs comply with legal, fiscal and nonstatutory requirements imposed on them.

Besides being a member of the member association in Uganda, Reproductive Health Uganda, I have also been a member of Rotary International since 2005. I have served in several Board positions of the Rotary Club of Kampala since 2020 todate; Membership director July 2020 – June 2021; Administration chair July 2021 – June2022 and currently Treasurer July 2022 up to June 2023. I also served on the Board of Rotary Club Kigali Mont Jali of Kigali, Rwanda; my first Rotary Club 2006-2009.

I am writing to apply for the position of IPPF Board of Trustee or Finance, Audit and Risk Committee member or Resource Allocation Technical Committee member. I will use the knowledge and experience gained throughout my career, especially as a former IPPF staff to strengthen the governance of the Federation as well improve on Member Association resource allocation processes.

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ANNEX B: PROFILES OF THE NEWLY RECRUITED NGC MEMBER

Brief Profile An MA volunteer, Luisa is medical student with plans to specialize in obstetrics and gynaecology. Outside of her studies, Luisa is the Vice President of Mexfam, the MA in Mexico, and an active young member of UNFPA LACRO. She brings her skills in SRHR leadership as well as youth empowerment and youth networks. Luisa is based in Mexico and is under 25 years old at this time.

   Letter of Intent:

Para quien corresponda:

Para mi es un privilegio poder participar en la convocatoria, es de mi interés solicitar un
lugar en el Comité de Nombramientos y Gobernanza, ya que a pesar de tener 23 años, he
tenido la oportunidad de participar activamente y conocer en todo su esplendor a IPPF. Es
importante mencionar que estoy totalmente comprometida en dar mi tiempo y mi
experiencia en el ámbito de gobernanza y juventudes para el beneficio en el camino de esta
nueva etapa de IPPF, así como aprender de les otres integrantes, ya que me parece que
todas las personas podemos aportar mucho desde nuestras experiencias, y seguir encaminando a que IPPF nunca pierda su punto principal de seguir apoyando a las personas que lo necesitan.