Our Team

Before joining the ICSS in 2012, Massimiliano spent twelve years working for different United Nations bodies, including the UNHCR, UNODC and UNICRI, as well as taking part in the UN Task Force addressing violent extremism, war crimes prosecution and security in post-conflict zones.

His most recent assignment at the UN was as Head of the Center on Public-Private Partnership for the Protection of Vulnerable Targets and the International Permanent Observatory on Major Events Security.

He holds a Master’s Degree in International Advanced Legal Studies, a University Degree in Political Sciences and a Postgraduate Degree in International Relations.

Before joining ICSS in 2014, he was the Chief of Cabinet of the Portuguese State Secretary for Sports and Youth.

As a lawyer specialising in intellectual property (IP) and international relations, he practised as a senior associate at a leading global law firm.

Previously he was a Parliamentary Assistant and Head of Cabinet in the European Parliament, and Chief of Staff of the Chairman of the Independent European Sports Review (IESR).

Diogo is an author of several articles and books on IP, sports integrity and sports law, and is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian.

Dale served with the former Yugoslavia United Nations Peacekeeping Civilian Police, conducting war crimes investigations.

Dale was the first INTERPOL Director in Capacity Building and Training and he founded and chaired the INTERPOL Group of Experts. He also served as President of the Canadian Association of Police Educators.

Dale is a published historian and a freelance writer, co-editing ‘Police Organization and Training, Innovations in Research and Practice’, a collective effort of 13 different countries to promote best practices in investigational excellence. He also published ‘The History of Depot’, a national best seller. While at INTERPOL, Sheehan co-edited ‘Match-fixing in Sport, an International Collaboration.’

through which she had the privilege of working with the late Boxing World Champion, Mohammed Ali in 1977. In 1988, Siham founded her PR agency in Austria through which she served the City of Vienna for 25 years as the PR Advisor for the Arabian Gulf Countries. In parallel, she served OPEC as a public relations and communications advisor for 30 years and still contributes to its flagship magazine the OPEC Bulletin, and serves as a member of the Executive Committee of OPEC Seminar Journalism Award.

Siham produced many TV programs and campaigns to promote the City of Vienna and its relations with the various Gulf countries. Inspired by Save the Dream, Siham founded the ‘Street Kids Help Organisation’ in Austria. Siham holds a Master’s Degree in European Integration and European Studies from the Danube University in Austria and speaks Arabic, English and German fluently. Siham is a yacht captain and in 1988 she won a Bronze Medal for Austria in Freestyle Skiing/Combination.

He has significant experience in delivering high profile, large-scale security projects for major sporting events including the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Steven represented the UK Policing at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games and delivered the Safety and Security chapter for the 2010 London Host City bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. More recently, he delivered the Safety and Security Handbook for a global sporting governing body and regularly conducts security audits and assessments for major sports events both in Qatar and around the world.

Alain has a proven track record for designing, developing and delivering bespoke training solutions that exceed client expectations, increase job knowledge, develop skills and influence behaviour. He has extensive knowledge in the fields of training development, instructional design, learning theories and technology. Alain is formally trained with a Master of Arts in Educational Technology from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Bishop’s University. Alain fluently speaks English, French, Spanish and Dutch.

working on projects involving youth empowerment, adaptive leadership and effective decision-making. He previously held positions at various NGOs such as Oxfam International in New York and played a role in negotiations with UN Security Council diplomats and ambassadors to apply specific language in draft resolutions on DRC, Mali, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Bahruz received his J.S.D. (Doctorate in Law) and L.L.M. (Master of Laws) in Human Rights and International Law from St. Thomas University School of Law. He also holds an MPA (Master’s in Public Administration) from Harvard University and Ph.D. from the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. Bahruz is Fluent in Azerbaijani, Turkish, Russian and English.

Prior to joining the ICSS, Salem held positions at Qatar Charity and Al-Jazeera Network where he was extensively involved in public relations and marketing activities on a strategic level. Salem is also a successful entrepreneur in the hospitality field.

Prior to joining the ICSS in 2015, Saleh held positions with Ooredoo, Aspire Zone and Qatar Olympic Committee gaining a wealth of experience in strategic business planning, marketing strategy, business development, media and stakeholder management.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Leeds Metropolitan University, UK, and an MBA from the London School of Marketing, London, UK.

Saleh is also a successful entrepreneur with a demonstrated track record in running successful enterprises.

and has developed a consistent track-record and extensive knowledge on the treatment of various themes affecting sport integrity.

Mallorie has both theoretical and practical background, with vast experience throughout the missions conducted for UNESCO, and more recently, at ICSS, in UNESCO-ICSS’s Regional Project to Western Africa. As an international expert, she took part in the drafting of the renowned International Report ‘Fighting Against the Manipulation of Sports Competitions’ led by the Sorbonne, in the framework of the Sorbonne-ICSS Programme on Ethics and Sport Security, as well as in various ERASMUS+ projects.

An enthusiast for books, dance (modern and classic) and photography, Mallorie teaches at several universities and research centers and is the Head of the Sport Section of the French Association of Doctors in Law (AFDD).

She recently compiled a Compendium of existing legal instruments, policies, National Action Plans, projects, and capacity building initiatives aimed at making use of sport and its values as a tool to prevent violent extremism. She is currently carrying out a multicentric case study on grassroots sports experiences in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic to inform the WHO Mass Gatherings Cell within its Health Emergencies Programme. Further research topics she is responsible for at the ICSS include sport for peace and development, gender imbalance in sport, harassment, and abuse in sport, and sport threats.

Magda enjoys exploring sports as a social construct that changes as power relations, narratives, and discourse change. Her expertise lies in applying critical research to methodologies such as Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), Discourse Analysis (DA), Text Analysis, PhotoVoice, Sensory Ethnography, Visual Ethnography, Social Constructivism, and Feminist Research within an interdisciplinary framework and suitable to conducting research with marginalized communities. Magda holds an MSSc in Interdisciplinary Child Studies, Linköping University, Sweden, an M.A. in Adult Learning and Global Change, Linköping University, Sweden, and a B.A. in Political Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

She comes from a unique background combining a multitude of different operating experiences, being both a creative thinker and an influential collaborator. As an astute strategist, she is at her best when tackling challenges and projects across a broad portfolio of responsibilities.

Elda drives design excellence, vision, and tactical direction and fosters collaboration across multiple functional areas and projects simultaneously, ensuring the delivery of holistic messaging against the strategy and organisational objectives. Elda is a graduate of Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, with a B.A. in Business Administration with majors in Marketing and Advertising Management from the PSU School of Business.

Throughout his career, Wael participated in establishing several private and semi-government companies, including setting and implementation of internal policies and procedures. Wael holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Banking, Finance and Customs from Beirut Arab University.

the United Nations children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), as well as with government agencies and international NGOs. She has been exposed to politically and socially challenging, post-conflict settings in countries such as Colombia, Kosovo and Laos.

This has provided her with the skills to adapt to different scenarios and support vulnerable groups from diverse ethnicities and social backgrounds. Carol has experience in designing and leading complex and multisectoral programmes to support, amongst others, child education, child protection, gender equality, sport for development, peace, security, and human rights.

She is fluent in four languages (Spanish, English, French and Portuguese), and has two Master’s Degrees in International Relations and Political Science.

She speaks four languages, Azerbaijani, Turkish, English, and Italian and has a Master’s Degree in International Communications from IULM University, Milan. Shabnam has experience in implementing and developing corporate and personal social media accounts, managing and promoting social media campaigns and she has an active influential personal Instagram account with 90.000 followers and a subscribable Snapchat account.

Prior to assuming his role with the ICSS, he worked for a large international group of companies where he negotiated and drafted high-value contracts and coordinated various tasks between 85 group-affiliated firms.

At the ICSS, Nassim ensures the full alignment and legal compliance of different departments with the applicable legal and policy rules and regulations.

 later progressing into leading large administrative teams as an Administration Manager. Michelle assists in the development and implementation of quality management systems, manage business travel and oversees several administrative matters, facilities, QMS and HSE functions at the ICSS.

A Scotland native living in Qatar for more than 11 years, Michelle has grown professionally and is always ready to adapt, be challenged, and strives to achieve accuracy and precision.

He also assists with the development of Erasmus + projects, as well as projects in partnership with the UN entities.

Previously Alex held roles as the International Relations and Partnerships Expert at the University of Regina (2018-2019) and Event and Sport Development Coordinator at the University of Regina (2015-2018). His previous experience as a professional athlete has allowed him to develop an international approach and ability to effectively work in a multicultural environment. As a dedicated and result-oriented individual, Alex also also assists with stakeholder outreach activities, project coordination and management.

Alex is fluent in Spanish, Catalan, English and French.

Ali has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, and has completed additional studies in IT, business management and secretarial affairs. He is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Business.

Prior to joining the ICSS, George worked in various IT roles in several industries, including market research, IT system integration and R&D. George holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science Engineering and various professional certifications.

Maya has extensive experience in HR management including talent management, employee relations, onboarding, compensation and benefits, human resource planning, performance management, staffing, compliance to international and national labour standards, career development, and HR auditing.

Previously she held positions in various sectors including rail, recruitment consultancies, and media. Maya holds a bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from Lebanese University and a Human Resources Management Certificate from the American University of Beirut.

Prior to joining the ICSS, she worked as a Human Resources Officer and Recruitment and Training Coordinator in a group of companies in Qatar where she handled the recruitment process for various group functions such as automotive, real estate, travel, internal audit, finance, and medical equipment.

As a certified in-house trainer, she designed training manuals, course presentations and successfully conducted various training across the organisation.

She loves to travel and to play sports like badminton, as her recreational activity.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics Sciences. Before joining the ICSS, Hicham held positions at the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations in Geneva. Hicham speaks English, French and Arabic. He enjoys playing golf, snooker and swimming.

As a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supplies (CIPS) global community, he has a strong background in purchasing and supply chain management and is proficient in modern procurement techniques.

In addition to his negotiation skills, Aboubakr has a passion for improving purchasing methods, sourcing the best-priced goods and services, and always has the gravitas needed to act as an ambassador of the ICSS. Aboubakr speaks English, Arabic and French.