About Manon

SERVICES

Through her strategic consulting, facilitating, learning trajectories, lecturing, and translating activities, Manon helps organisations:

• advocate for human rights and participation of underrepresented and historically marginalised groups in social, economical and political life
• shape equitable cooperation within international teams and between partners from various cultural backgrounds
• build sustainable bridges across political and other divides

EXPERIENCE

From Switzerland to Russia

Thanks to twenty years’ experience in international cooperation and her fluency in French, English, Dutch and Russian, Manon is easily navigating through different environments. Born and raised in Switzerland, she studied Russian culture, world history and Western philosophy at the University of Lausanne for an in-depth understanding of the world beyond the Alps. At the age of 23, her first six-months stay in Russia was a life changer. This prompted her life-long fascination for the dynamics of interaction between cultures, between majority and minority groups, and between the ‘West’ and the rest.

From research to hands-on cooperation and equity

This step shaped Manon’s career. Firstly in academia, Manon focussed her PhD thesis on Russian philosophy, history and civil society and their dialogues with Europe. Thereafter, she gained invaluable hands-on cooperation experience by managing projects in support of democratisation processes in countries East of the EU. At the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), she worked on the participation and inclusion of minorities in Ukraine (including Crimea) and Georgia. In recent years, Manon has broadened her scope of expertise to human rights and rule of law beyond this region, thriving in endeavours towards gender equality and social inclusion. Using her privileged position to even the playing field between the Global North and the Global South, she multiplies her efforts towards leadership and ownership by Global South organisations and consultants. 

Skills for turbulent times

As a freelancer based in The Hague, Manon has developed a reputation as a dedicated advisor, an engaging learning facilitator and lecturer, a warm communicator and a committed team player. In these times of profound crisises, data inflation, oversimplification and hasty decisions, she brings strong analytical skills, a sense of nuance and ability to situate processes in their broader context, as well as the heartfelt deftness to support groups in their learning trajectory.

Drawing on her unique expertise, Manon can help raise your international cooperation initiatives to a higher level towards global solidarity.

MEMBERSHIP

NEDWORC Association, the professional network of International Development Cooperation Experts in the Netherlands

Disrupt Development, post-growth change agency in global development