The Team

Burkhard Gnärig
Executive Director

At the beginning of 2007, Burkhard founded the Berlin Civil Society Center together with Peter Eigen and shortly thereafter, became Executive Director of the Center. Burkhard has over 20 years experience of international cooperation and management of civil society organisations (CSOs). From 1998 to 2007 he was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Save the Children Alliance, located in London. Before this, Burkhard was CEO of Greenpeace Germany and terre des hommes Germany. As a field director in Papua New Guinea, Burkhard also worked for the German Development Service. Burkhard has been Board Chair and Board Member of various CSOs in Italy, Switzerland, India, Korea and Japan, and has actively participated in a number of major UN conferences, as well as at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Karenina Schröder
Deputy Executive Director

Karenina joined the Center in August 2010 as Deputy Executive Director. She supports the Executive Director with the running of the Berlin Civil Society Center. Her main responsibilities are the devising of strategies for the organisational development of the Center, facilitating the acceptance and implementation of the INGO Accountability Charter in the  NGO sector and to oversee the administration of the Center. For the past six years Karenina has served on the Board of  Transparency International Germany (TI G), where she was responsible for the strategic organisational development at TI G and was the coordinator of the Advisory Council. She also founded and managed the working group “Transparency in the Non-Profit Sector” and the “Academic Working Group of TI G”. Karenina studied art history, philosophy and history and worked for 10 years in various positions in the art sector, before doing her Master of Business Administration in 2002.

Phone: +49 (0) 30 20 62 46 97 13

E-Mail: karenina.schroeder@berlin-civil-society-center.org

Åsa Månsson
Manager INGO Accountability Charter

Åsa joined the Center in April 2009 as PA to the Executive Director. Åsa is still supporting the Executive Director in his daily work and since the Berlin Civil Society Center took over the Secretariat role of the INGO Accountability Charter, Åsa is also manager of the every-day administration and organisation of the Charter (please click here for more information). Originally from Sweden, Åsa studied European Studies and Sociology at the universities in Gothenburg (Sweden) and Berlin. She finished her studies in August 2008 with a master thesis focusing on the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in European governance. Åsa gained her first work experience within a small consultancy, mainly focusing on the evaluation of social projects within the public and civil society sector.

Phone: +49 (0) 30 20 62 46 97 12

E-Mail: asa.mansson@berlin-civil-society-center.org

Helene Wolf
Project Manager

Helene joined the Center in May 2011 as Project Manager of the Programme Team and is responsible for the organisation and implementation of the Center’s convening programme. After graduating with an MA in EU Politics and Government from the London School of Economics she worked as a Research Officer at the International Crisis Group’s headquarters in Brussels. Most recently she was a Junior Consultant at a strategic communications consultancy in Berlin. Helene also studied Cultural Studies at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) and in Wroclaw, Poland.

Phone: +49 (0) 30 20 62 46 97 15

Email: helene.wolf@berlin-civil-society-center.org

Daniela O’Halloran
Finance and Administration Officer

Daniela joined us in May 2010 as our Financial and Administration Officer part-time after recently relocating from Dublin to Berlin. She is currently externally studying for a B. Sc. Sociology Degree at the University of London. In Ireland she worked for a non-profit organisation called “Integrating Ireland”. Together with her husband, who is also active in the non-profit sector, she launched an online exchange network that enables companies to donate office furniture and services to organisations working in the voluntary field for which they were awarded by “Social Entrepreneurs Ireland”.

Phone: +49 (0) 30 20 62 46 97 10

Email: dohalloran@berlin-civil-society-center.org

Linda Heyer
PA to Executive Director

Linda joined the Center in January 2012. In a trainee position, she has taken over the role of the Personal Assistant to the Executive Director from Sarah. At the University of Passau Linda studied Languages, Cultural and Business Studies and focused on multilateral development cooperation including the regions of Southeast Asia and China. Throughout her studies, she undertook various travels to Asia. There she studied at Xiamen University in the People’s Republic of China and interned with a local Thai NGO focused on the advocacy and support of civic groups. Furthermore, Linda used to work as a volunteer at ‘Die Tafel’ (the German food bank) distributing excess food to people in need.

Phone: +49 (0) 30 20 62 46 97 11

Email: linda.heyer@berlin-civil-society-center.org

Jana Merkelbach
Project Assistant

Jana joined the Center in April 2011 and works as Project Assistant in the Programme Team. Jana graduated from a European Master in Childhood Studies and Children’s Rights at the Free University of Berlin. For her thesis she conducted field research within a local Namibian NGO on context-specific and participative child protection. She furthermore studied Politics and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Aix en Provence, France. Throughout her studies Jana interned with Amnesty International Germany and local NGOs in Namibia focused on leadership development as well as child support. She was moreover Project Manager of the conference “Model European Union Konstanz 2008”.

Phone: +49 (0) 30 20 62 46 97 14

Email: jana.merkelbach@berlin-civil-society-center.org

Anne Pasquet
Project Assistant

Anne joined the Center in January 2012 as a Project Assistant in the Programme Team. Anne comes from Paris, France. She studied History and Political Science at La Sorbonne in Paris and at the Universities of Aix-en-Provence (France) and Tübingen (Germany). She graduated with an MA in Peace Studies and International Politics at the University of Tübingen (Germany) with a focus on reconciliation in the countries of Southeastern Europe. Throughout her master studies, Anne worked as a volunteer for a scholarship programme in support of university students in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Prior to working at the Center, she interned with NGOs in Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Phone: +49 (0) 30 20 62 46 97 14

Email: anne.pasquet@berlin-civil-society-center.org

Carolin Lenzen
Project Assistant

Carolin joined the Center in January 2012 and works as Project Assistant in the Programme Team. Carolin studied Social Sciences at the University of Marburg and graduated with an MA in International Studies: Peace and Conflict Studies in Frankfurt (Main) with a focus on the protection of human rights. Throughout her studies she did various internships for different organisations including the American NGO United Way. Before joining the Center she interned with the GIZ and the Kindernothilfe Germany both with a focus on the topics Health and Children.

Phone: +49 (0) 30 20 62 46 97 14

Email: carolin.lenzen@berlin-civil-society-center.org

Amandine Berger
Intern with Coordination and Organisation

Amandine joined the Center in October 2011 and will be staying until April 2012. She will be working on the INGO Accountability Charter and supporting the Executive Director’s PA. Amandine comes from Paris, France. Prior to working at the Center, she worked in the UK as a project manager for two European programmes in the fields of education and vocational training. In addition, Amandine worked as a trainee at the European Commission. Amandine studied law and European policies at La Sorbonne in Paris, the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Aix en Provence, and Universidad La Complutense in Madrid.