Our team
Our International Secretariat is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Alex Kamarotos
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Graduate of the Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva-Switzerland), as well as of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA-France), as well as a Masters of Arts in management of the non-profit sector (Rome-Italy), Mr. Kamarotos has a wide experience in international organisations, including 20 years in humanitarian affairs, human rights and the rights of the child, both at the United Nations as well in NGOs. He has also been director of major EU programmes for the Mediterranean basin, as well as former Deputy Director General in charge of International and European Affairs of the French Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. From 2009 to 2016, Deputy Director General of Public Services International (PSI) a global federation of Trade Unions working for the promotion of quality public services and trade union rights with affiliates in over 150 countries, Alex Kamarotos is the Executive Director of Defence for Children International (DCI)’s International Secretariat in Geneva since November 2016.
Cecile Pilot
Senior Project and cAPACITy Building
Born and educated in France, Cecile holds a Master’s Degree in Human Rights Law from Strasbourg University of Law and Political Sciences, with a specialisation on the rights of minorities. Since she joined DCI early 2019, Cecile has been in charge of the international programme of the Girls Advocacy Alliance, as well as supporting DCI national sections with capacity building on international accountability mechanisms and guidance on project management. She has professional experience both in private and public sectors, divided between work as a junior M&E officer in the humanitarian field and policy-related positions with NGOs and United Nations agencies. Among significant achievements, she has been a member of independent evaluation teams mandated by the WFP, AFD and DG ECHO to monitor protection and humanitarian operations in complex emergencies, including field visits in Burkina Faso and Niger in 2018 and 2019. Cecile speaks French, English and Spanish.
Susanna Tuccio
World SERVICE Foundation (BRUSSELS)
Susanna joined Defence for Children International in September 2022 as Coordinator of the DCI – World Service Foundation. She holds a Master’s degree in European and International Studies from the University of Trento, as well as a Double Degree in Sociology and International Studies from the University of Trento and the University of Nantes. During her studies, she had a first professional experience as an intern in the Health and Humanitarian Affairs Section of the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations in Geneva. After graduation, she worked in a non-profit organisation dedicated to ensuring every child is safe, in school, and learning; there she was responsible for the overall management and development of the Italian section.
Sasha Richards
Advocacy officer
Since 2019, Sasha holds the position of Advocacy Officer in charge of ensuring the advancement and protection of child rights before international and UN human rights mechanisms, such as the Human Rights Council and the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Sasha also advocates for the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, including its’ dissemination and follow-up. Sasha is a graduate from Université Grenoble-Alpes in France where she completed a double bachelor’s degree in Law and Foreign Languages, then graduated from a Master’s degree in International law after writing a dissertation on Human rights violations by transnational corporations. Sasha speaks English, French and Italian.
