The management of Devex greatly appreciates the opportunity to serve the international development community. We are a diverse team of professionals from around the world playing our small part in promoting international development.

Senior Management

Raj Kumar
President
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Devex co-founder and President Raj Kumar is a former principal in the political consulting firm Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, and has been a strategic adviser and election monitor for presidential elections in Venezuela, Indonesia, Dominican Republic, Israel and Ukraine.  Raj co-founded SmartPortfolio.com Inc., a successful financial information company sold to TheStreet.com Inc. in 2000. He was a staff member of President Clinton's national advance team. Raj graduated from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and co-founded Devex as a graduate student at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. He is a board member of the Society for International Development’s Washington, D.C., chapter, a charter member of The Indus Entrepreneurs, and a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He speaks Spanish and has worked, studied and traveled in more than 40 countries.

Kamiar Dar
Senior Partner
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Devex co-founder and Senior Partner Kami Dar spearheads the development of Devex's industry-leading services, drawing from experience in development consulting and information technology. Kami began his career as a consultant with American Management Systems, where he worked on deployment and training for a large-scale procurement system used by the U.S. government. As an international consultant, he later specialized in implementing management solutions for development programs. In that capacity, Kami designed and implemented a cutting-edge management system for the AMIR program in Jordan, a $58 million development project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. His success in bringing efficiencies to this project led him to co-found Devex in order to create similar efficiencies across the industry. Kami was named Dean's Fellow by Harvard University's international development program and holds a bachelor’s in science, technology and international affairs from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. He speaks Farsi and French and heads up Devex’s office in Barcelona.

Jason McNaboe
Partner
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Partner Jason McNaboe creates Devex's marketing and branding strategy. Before joining Devex as a founding member, he was senior project manager at New York Digital Design (NYD2), a strategic communications boutique. At NYD2, Jason developed marketing and communications strategies for Fortune 500 corporations, nonprofit organizations, and startup Internet companies. His clients included Lucent Technologies, Pfizer Inc., Fiduciary Trust Company International, and World Hunger Year Inc. Jason has also directed projects with companies such as Oracle Corp. and eBay Inc. He holds a bachelor’s in cultural studies from McGill University.

Alan Robbins
Partner
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As one of Devex's founding members, Partner Alan Robbins has helped expand the firm's membership to include more than 275 of the world's leading international development firms and non-governmental organizations. Alan is a former deputy director of the Washington International Business Council, the information and advisory service for major multinational corporations such as the ABB Group, Microsoft Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., IBM Corp. and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is also former deputy director of the nonprofit Executive Council on Diplomacy, an organization founded at the request of the U.S. Secretary of State in 1962 to provide private-sector outreach to the international diplomatic community in the United States. Alan holds a master’s in international affairs (international economics) from George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs and a bachelor’s in political science and history from Rutgers University.

Management

Rolf Rosenkranz
Editor
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As editor, Rolf is helping to shape Devex's News & Analysis page into the Web's prime international development information hub. He manages 'The Day in Development' blog and oversees a talented team of reporters working out of Devex offices in Barcelona, Tokyo and Manila, as well as a host of freelancers and bloggers located around the globe. Before joining Devex in early 2008, Rolf was managing editor at Inside Health Policy, a subscription-based service covering health policy news and trends in the U.S. capital as well as the states. He has reported from Africa for the Johannesburg-based International News Network, as well as the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, a German daily. Rolf holds a master's degree from the Missouri School of Journalism.

Noel V. Salazar
Senior Research Manager and Director, Manila Office
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Noel Salazar serves as senior research manager and director of Devex's Manila office. He recruits, trains and manages more than 40 staff in our offices near the Asian Development Bank. He also conducts and oversees research into projects funded by the ADB, World Bank, and other international development agencies. Noel has been a development practitioner for 20 years and has experience working for both local and international non-governmental organizations. Noel was a member of the editorial board of one of the oldest and leading human rights organizations in the Philippines. From 1990 to 1997, he was based in Spain and Tunisia as a member of the international staff of El Taller, an international NGO. At El Taller, Noel oversaw membership drives, administered international workshops and training courses, and coordinated publications in English, French and Spanish. Noel also worked as a consultant for Governance and Local Democracy, a project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented in the Philippines by Associates in Rural Development. Noel holds a bachelor’s in social work from the University of the Philippines.

Kotaro Takahashi
Managing Director, Japan Office
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Kotaro Takahashi established the Devex Japan office in July 2006. As managing director, he assists Japan's leading international development companies in accessing donor funding and consultants from outside Japan, bringing greater efficiency to Japan's international development industry. Prior to joining Devex, Kotaro was an international development official in the Japanese government for more than 10 years. Working for the Japan International Cooperation Agency from 1996 to 2006, he was responsible for aid planning, technical assistance project formulation, management, and evaluation in the area of economic policy, finance, legal and judicial reform and governance, mainly in Southeast Asian countries. He also served as an official on assignment in the Economic Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with responsibility for Japan's aid policy in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2001, he developed a business plan for Devex's expansion to Japan while working as a summer associate for the company. He holds two master's degrees, one in economics from the University of Tokyo, and another in public administration from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

Katharyn Warren
Director, Global Recruiting Services
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As director of global recruitment services, Kate oversees Devex's DevelopmentHire, candidate sourcing, job postings and career fairs. Prior to joining Devex, Kate was a recruitment officer with International Relief and Development, an international non-governmental organization, where she led proposal recruitment for the U.S. Agency for International Development, United Nations, Australian Government Overseas Aid Program and other donor-funded development initiatives. Earlier, she was a recruiter and deputy program manager for Checchi and Co. Consulting Inc., where she managed the recruitment for the Evaluation IQC and Afghanistan programs. With Bowne Global Solutions, Kate recruited interpreters in more than 300 languages for U.S. immigration courts and international conferences. Kate holds a bachelor's in Latin American studies from the University of Texas in Austin. She has lived in Argentina, Costa Rica and Mexico and speaks Spanish.

Senior Staff

Giosuè Alagna
Senior Associate
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Giosuè Alagna was a fellow in Devex's Washington, D.C., office before moving to Barcelona in August 2007 and assuming his current position as senior associate. He holds a bachelor's in journalism from Texas Christian University and a master's in international public affairs from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he focused on international development and Latin America. Prior to joining Devex, Giosuè was a research associate with SERRV International, a fair trade organization. Giosuè speaks Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, his native tongue.

Radamanthus Batnag
Senior Technology Architect
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As senior technology architect, Rad Batnag guides Devex’s technology strategy, internal training, and processes for the in-house information technology team. He oversaw the creation of major devex.com features, including the company directory, alerts, news & analysis, and blogs. Rad previously served with leading IT solutions vendors in the Philippines, including Entertainment Gateway Group, Net Effect (now NetLearn), and Net.Curricula Inc. Before securing a bachelor’s in computer science from AMA Computer University, Rad attended the undergraduate program in molecular biology and biotechnology at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.

Jamie Bay
Senior Associate
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Jamie Bay serves as a senior associate on Devex's executive membership team. Before joining the company in 2008, she completed her master's degree in conflict analysis and resolution at George Mason University. Prior to that, she spent nearly three years as marketing associate and health care consultant for the Advisory Board Co. Jamie also served as an intern in the U.S. State Department's Office of South Central Europe. She holds a bachelor's degree in government from the College of William & Mary.

Polly Michelle Cunanan
Senior Marketing Coordinator
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Marketing Coordinator Polly Cunanan heads Devex’s marketing and creative services team, which formulates and implements the company's marketing strategies and creative efforts. She worked as an information officer at the Philippines’ Agricultural Training Institute, and served as information, education and communication development and desktop publishing consultant for the World Bank and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. She also developed IEC materials for the Caraballo and Southern Cordillera Agricultural Development Program, funded by the European Union. Polly attended the graduate program on communication research at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. In 2001, she earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast communication from the same institution.

Edgar De Jesus
Senior Research Associate
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Senior Research Associate Edgar De Jesus heads Devex’s procurement opportunity team, which tracks more than 150 Web sites to create the world's most comprehensive online database of procurements. Edgar holds a bachelor’s in biology from the University of the Philippines in Manila, and landed consulting assignments with projects to prevent industrial pollution and manage environmental and coastal resources. While working for Tetra Tech EM Inc., one of the leading U.S.-based environmental management firms, Edgar handled environmental projects in the Philippines, including those funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and Asian Development Bank. Edgar also has served as a consultant to other firms on several environmental projects sponsored by the World Bank, JBIC, and the Korean Ministry of Environment.

Jessimen Espesor
Senior Developer
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Devex Senior Developer Jessie Espesor is part of the team that focuses on creating features for the company’s Web site. He helped develop some of Devex’s key online services, including DevelopmentHire, DevelopmentTrack and DevelopmentEx 2.0. A Java expert, Jessie was instrumental in devising a content management system for the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry, as well as the AutoResibo program for the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the Philippines. Jessie holds a bachelor’s in computer science from the University of the Philippines.

Sidney Lim
Senior Member Support Associate and Night Shift Manager
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Senior Member Support Associate Sidney Lim helps performs a combination of finance, accounting, member relations and administrative functions. He handled budget issues related to the Expanded Program on Immunization, a project by the World Health Organization’s regional office for the western Pacific, and served in the human resources sections of several multinational and local companies in the Philippines. Sidney holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy and human resources development from San Beda College in the Philippines.

Niño Jose Rocamora
Senior Recruitment Associate
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Senior Recruitment Officer Niño Rocamora manages Devex's candidate sourcing service, which has helped more than 80 international consulting firms, non-governmental organizations and donor agencies meet their recruitment needs. Previously, Niño worked as coordination associate for the U.N. Development Program’s Office of the Resident Coordinator in the Philippines, and as research consultant on projects funded by the Asian Development Bank, Australian Government’s Overseas Aid Program, and World Bank. He holds a bachelor’s in development studies from the Ateneo de Manila University and is currently finishing his master's degree in urban and regional planning at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.

Maria Angela Tripon
Senior Product Manager
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Senior Product Manager Mo Tripon leads the quality assurance team within Devex's information technology department. In that capacity, she oversees devex.com content, design specifications for new features, as well as development and product testing. Before joining Devex, Mo worked as software developer at Accenture as well as other technology firms in the Philippines. She holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of the Philippines and is currently finishing her master's in development communication through the University of the Philippines open university system.

Ma. Eliza Villarino
Senior Staff Writer
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Senior Staff Writer Eliza Villarino played a critical role in conceptualizing the Development Newswire. She leads Devex’s editorial team in Manila. Eliza earned her bachelor's in political science and her master's in public affairs from the University of the Philippines. She has written articles and news briefs for Internet media organizations and for the Institute for Ethics and Economic Policy at Fordham University in New York. Eliza is a member of Mensa Philippines.

Abby Gale Zipagan
Senior Member Outreach Associate
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Senior Member Outreach Associate Abby Zipagan manages Devex’s individual professional membership team, which caters to more than 4,000 professionals from around the globe. Before joining the company in 2006, Abby interned at the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of European Affairs and worked as a customer service associate for Sykes Asia, one of the Philippines’ top business process outsourcing companies. Abby holds a bachelor’s in international studies, with specialization in European studies, from De La Salle University.

Outside Counsel

Jason P. Matechak
Outside General Counsel and Legal Advisor
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Jason Matechak is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Reed Smith, where his practice includes public procurement, international and technology matters. Jason has served as general counsel and legal advisor for the International Development Law Institute in Rome, Italy. He has also served as a legal reform officer and as a contract negotiator during his seven-year tenure with the U.S. Agency for International Development. Jason earned a doctoral degree from the George Mason University School of Law, a master's international commerce and policy from George Mason University's School of Public Policy, a graduate certificate in economics of European integration from l'Universite Catholique de Louvain in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, and a bachelor's in political science, with minors in Russian studies and economics, from James Madison University.