Climate Change Specialist and FAST Partnership Task Force Coordinator

Giulia Maria Galbiati is a development professional with a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Management and Masters' degrees in Environmental Humanities and International Cooperation for Development. Currently serving as a Climate Change Specialist, she coordinates the FAST Partnership Task Force at the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment of FAO. Giulia is also a climate finance analyst. She has authored several assessments of climate-related development finance and has contributed to publications with focused analysis on climate-related ODA specific for agrifood systems.

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Junior Professional Officer

Maria Haensel joined FAO in 2023, providing technical support to the FAST Partnership and contributing to project management. In addition to this role, she supports FAO's work on National Adaptation Plans as part of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB). Before joining FAO, she worked as a researcher on agri-environmental policies and previously worked for GIZ (German Development Cooperation) and UNESCO (Ethiopia). She holds a BSc and MSc in environmental sciences and an extracurricular degree in environmental law. 

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Climate Change Specialist

Makie Yoshida is a climate change specialist with nearly ten years of experience in climate change and disaster risk reduction. At FAO, her primary responsibilities include supporting climate change policy and action, with a focus on Loss and Damage. Prior to joining FAO, she worked with UNDP El Salvador and JICA Bolivia, where she gained valuable experience in enhancing climate resilience in indigenous communities. Her unique experience both at the global strategic level as well as community level motivates her to mobilize climate finance and action for those most in need. She holds a MSc in Climate Change, Development and Policy from University of Sussex. She is fluent in English, Spanish and Japanese. 

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Senior Communications Specialist

Fiona Bottigliero is a communications expert with over 12 years of experience in strategic communications, knowledge sharing and partnerships in the field of sustainable development and humanitarian assistance (FAO, WFP and CGIAR). Fiona coordinates communication and outreach efforts of the FAST Partnership and leads communications, coordination and media outreach across the Climate Action Team's (CAT) portfolio (FAO Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment). In addition, she is responsible for the development and implementation of corporate communications strategies for climate change COPs. She holds a B.A. in French Literature and Art History and an M.Phil in Textual and Visual Studies from Trinity College Dublin."4 x 1000" Initiative

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Lucia Moro is a visual communications expert with over 20 years of experience in graphic design and art direction, nine of these at FAO. Lucia is responsible for brand design on multiple FAO initiatives within FAO’s Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB), including the development and application of the FAST Partnership’s visual identity. She leads graphic design activities on a wide range of products, both print and digital, and assists with management of the FAST website. 

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Event Support Specialist

Alina Gerke supports the FAST Partnership Task Force in event organization, outreach and regional engagement. She brings expertise in communication and outreach activities, awareness-raising, stakeholder engagement and campaign management. Prior to FAO she was working for the German Embassy in Rome and the European Parliament, supporting activities related to Press and Public Relations as well as Partnership Engagement. She has a strong expertise in youth engagement and is part of the World Food Forum where she launched the Champions programme and co-led the WFF Education track. Moreover, she is part of the OCB gender group and the OCB youth group. Alina holds two Master's degrees in political science, communications and digital marketing. 

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Climate Governance Specialist, Latin America and the Caribbean

Abigail Alvarado is the FAST Partnership Task Force focal point for the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office (RLC) of FAO. In this role, she provides technical assistance and advisory support on regional platforms. She works in the Climate Change Unit within FAO RLC and coordinates the Climate Action Platform in Agriculture for Latin America and the Caribbean (PLACA). Her experience focuses on regional project management in LAC on climate change, climate risk management, vulnerability, and adaptation related issues. She holds a BSc in Environmental Engineering, an MSc in Research in hydrology, hydrochemistry, soils, and environment, and a Certificate in Innovation Management.

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Climate Change Specialist, Europe and Central Asia

Juliette Baralon is a climate change specialist with seven years of experience working on issues related to land use and forestry, nature-based solutions and climate and biodiversity finance. Juliette joined FAO in October 2023, and supports on a range of topics, including regional climate action planning, climate finance, and GCF projects implementation. She supports the FAST Taskforce with engagement in Europe and Central Asia.   

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