Yvonne is a Senior Global Governance Advisor at FOGGS, where she guides initiatives on multilateralism, notably those related to crisis management. She conducts research, provides policy and strategic partnership advice, and assists with the preparation of publications and outreach tools.  

Yvonne has worked in international disaster management for 20 years, mainly with the United Nations. Her professional forte is strategic planning and troubleshooting operational bottlenecks. Having moved into the private sector to support climate-smart initiatives along the disaster management – climate crisis axis, she now focuses on linking public policies and cutting-edge science in partnerships between civil society, the private sector and government.

As a published researcher, Yvonne’s research interest revolves around the identification and activation of community disaster management assets. She believes solutions lie in more accountable and action-oriented decision-making processes at the global level, as opposed to the current trend of national withdrawal from international dialogue and cooperation. 

Yvonne holds a Joint Honours Degree in Law and Politics from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, a Master of Laws from the College of William and Mary, USA, as well as a Ph.D. in Disaster Science and Management from the University of Delaware, USA