Suneeta Kaimal
President and Chief Executive Officer
Suneeta joined NRGI’s predecessor organization, the Revenue Watch Institute (RWI) in 2009 as the deputy director responsible for regional and country engagements across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. Following the merger between RWI and the Natural Resource Charter in 2013, Suneeta became chief operating officer, ensuring NRGI’s strategy and approach was relevant, demand-driven, and evidence-based. Overseeing the leadership and senior management teams, she guided the translation of the strategy into innovative, impactful thematic and regional programs and supported NRGI’s institutional effectiveness and sustainability. Suneeta served as interim president and chief executive officer in 2020, surmounting the strategic and operational challenges of the global pandemic.
Suneeta is the secretary/treasurer of the board of directors of The International Center for Not-For-Profit Law, working to improve the legal environment for civil society, philanthropy, and public participation around the world. She was the first female civil society chair of the Open Government Partnership, an organization of reformers inside and outside of government from more than 75 countries and served on the steering committee for eight years. Suneeta was the first chair of the global council of Publish What You Pay, a civil society movement of more than 1,000 organizations working to improve natural resource governance. She is also a founding board member of Roots of Health, a local NGO focused on improving the health of women and girls and their communities, in the Philippines.
Suneeta holds a master’s in international affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, and a bachelor of arts from Duke University, where she was a Hart Leadership Fellow.
Luis M. García
Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
A member of senior management at NRGI, Luis leads the support services team and performs administrative oversight. Luis’ responsibilities include risk management, compliance, IT and human resources.
Luis joined NRGI in April 2020 after three years as chief financial officer at Water For People.
He started his extensive career in finance as a treasurer and accountant for two regional associations in Spain. After working as a financial advisor at Bilbao Vizcaya Bank, Luis transitioned to the non-for-profit sector.
He dedicated more than 20 years of his career to serving those who suffer hunger or lack access to clean water in three international sections at Action Against Hunger, as well as the charity Water For People.
Luis began his Action Against Hunger career as the financial and administrative director in Haiti, from 1997 to 1999. He then led financial oversight of all Madrid-managed missions worldwide as the field operation finances director, a position he held until the end of 2005.
In 2006, Luis joined Action Against Hunger USA as director of grant compliance and field financial controller, based in New York. In 2012, Luis assumed the chief financial officer role with Action Against Hunger USA.
Luis is a native of Bilbao, Spain. He earned degrees in economics from universities in Bilbao and Lille. He has also taken Ph.D. courses in international economy and development from the Basque Country University in Spain. He speaks five languages fluently.
Patrick Heller
Chief Program Officer
Patrick has supported legal reform and accountability in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East for more than 20 years for organizations including USAID, the U.S. State Department, the Asian Development Bank, Creative Associates International and The International Center for Transitional Justice. He is also a senior visiting fellow at the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at the University of California, Berkeley.
As chief program officer, Patrick oversees the organization’s global program portfolio. Patrick previously served as an advisor to NRGI, a position in which he managed NRGI’s work supporting equitable energy transition in resource-rich countries, including the governance of critical clean-technology minerals, reforms to domestic energy systems and strategies to avoid excessive economic dependence on fossil fuel extraction. He also led NRGI’s work on the governance of state-owned oil and mining companies.
Patrick has contributed extensively to NRGI’s programs of technical assistance to governments and civil society organizations throughout the world, and to NRGI’s capacity development efforts. He has facilitated courses on oil, gas and mining legal frameworks with partner institutions including the University of Oxford, Columbia University, Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia), the Catholic University of Central Africa (Cameroon) and the Universidad Externado de Colombia.
He holds a law degree from Stanford University and a master’s in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Ana Carolina González Espinosa
Senior Director for Programs
Ana Carolina works closely with thematic and regional program staff across NRGI to advance strategic priorities and drive reform in the countries where NRGI operates. She leads targeted efforts to increase the impact and effectiveness of NRGI’s work by strengthening political economy and contextual analysis, as well as by connecting research, capacity development, grantmaking and advocacy at multiple levels. Ana Carolina oversees designated strategic portfolios such as gender, youth and communities, and supports NRGI’s work on the energy transition.
Ana Carolina has almost 19 years of academic and professional experience in development, especially in relation to resource governance, communities’ participation, climate change and the energy transition. She has been a visiting researcher at Columbia University in New York and at the Universidad Catolica in Peru. She is currently an associate researcher at the Universidad Externado de Colombia. She has worked as a research and project consultant with the United Nations Development Programme, the International Finance Corporation, the Inter-American Development Bank, Transparency International—Colombia, NRGI and the Stockholm Environment Institute. She was a member of the international board of directors of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the national EITI committee in Colombia, and she co-founded a coalition of civil society organizations and a non-governmental organization in the field of governance. Most recently, Ana Carolina worked as a Senior program officer of the natural resource and climate change program of the Ford Foundation, where she managed grantmaking monitoring, and convening activities for the global initiative. She actively contributed to donor collaborative platforms working on climate change, communities’ land rights, transparency, accountability and energy.
Ana Carolina is from Colombia. She holds a Ph.D. in political science and two master's degrees—in development and in comparative politics— from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, France (Sciences Po), as well as a bachelor’s degree in government and international relations from Universidad Externado de Colombia.
Liz McGrath
Managing Director
As managing director, Liz is responsible for strengthening NRGI’s organizational effectiveness to increase impact and advance NRGI’s mission. She leads the design and implementation of cross-functional processes including organizational goal setting, strategic planning and learning, annual budgeting and organizational governance. Liz ensures that NRGI’s strategy and its implementation are informed by trends in related fields; a robust monitoring, evaluation and learning practice; and the expertise of key partners, advisors and experts. She acts as a bridge between the organization’s strategic and governance activities and the operational, designing and implementing processes that ensure ownership, coherence and impact.
Liz has worked on governance issues for almost 15 years. Before joining NRGI in 2016 she served as the director of the Ibrahim Index of African Governance at the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, and prior to that worked for Amnesty International U.K., the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office and national human rights organizations in Nigeria and Colombia.
Liz grew up in Ghana and holds a B.Sc. in economics and international development from the University of Bath and an M.A. in international development from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
Lee Bailey
Communications Director
Based in London, Lee has previously worked in communications for the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti and a public health technology company. Before working in international development, he was a New York-based business journalist and a Boston-based management consultant.
Lee holds a B.A. in history from the University of Pennsylvania and a M.Sc. in development studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Africa Director
As NRGI’s lead in sub-Saharan Africa, Nafi steers cohesive practice guided by strategic thinking and inclusive and results-oriented program development. Across seven focus countries she builds and coordinates relationships between governments, civil society actors and communities, focused on changing narratives about the future of the oil, gas, and mining sectors. She also co-leads NRGI’s program on just energy transition.
Prior to NRGI, Nafi worked with Oxfam GB and the African Women’s Development Fund, a pan-African grant-making foundation supporting women’s rights organizations. She is a steering committee member of the Ghana Open Extractive Program and the Ghana chapter of the Open Government Partnership, an advisory team member of PPA Watch and a board member of the Institute of Energy Securities in Ghana. She has worked for more than 25 years in the civil society sector, dedicated to social justice, movement building, advocacy, multi-sector engagement, research and analysis.
Nafi holds a master’s degree in social development and sustainable livelihoods from the University of Reading (U.K.), a B.A. and diploma in education from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, and an executive certificate in oil, gas and mining governance from the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. She was also a 2014 Aspen New Voices Fellow.
Juan Luis Dammert
Latin America Director
Over his career, Juan Luis’ work has covered issues of resource governance and environmental change in Latin America. Before joining NRGI, he worked for Oxfam in Peru and as an adjunct professor at Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP).
Prior to his doctoral studies, Juan Luis worked for the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA). He has led and published research for Universidad del Pacifico (Peru), the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Group for the Analysis of Development (GRADE) and participated in comparative research on issues including land conflict, deforestation, global environmental change, infrastructure projects and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
Juan Luis earned a B.A. in sociology from PUCP and an M.A. and Ph.D. in geography from the Graduate School of Geography at Clark University in Massachusetts.
Laury Haytayan
Middle East and North Africa Director
Laury sets the strategic trajectory of the Middle East and North Africa region in accordance with the organizations’ mission and vision. She represents NRGI in the region and she oversees the implementation of programs and projects. Prior to becoming the director, Laury was the MENA senior officer in charge of the media and parliamentary capacity building programs. She played a significant role in establishing the Middle East and North Africa Regional Knowledge Hub Course in Lebanon in 2014.
Previously, Laury was executive director of Beirut-based Arab Region Parliamentarians Against Corruption (ARPAC), where she worked with parliamentarians and civil society groups to strengthen legislators' oversight and legislative capacities. Laury was invited by the Carter Center to help monitor the first Tunisian elections after the fall of Ben Ali. Prior to working with ARPAC, she was in charge of regional grassroots projects in Bahrain, Yemen and Saudi Arabia focused on promoting the role of women in development and policy-making. She also worked as grant manager, advocacy specialist and trainer for several international nongovernmental organizations, including IREX, ACDI/VOCA and the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. There, she mainly focused on civil society democracy campaigns in Lebanon and Iraq.
Laury also was lead author on an Israel case study and the co-author of a Norway case study in NRGI’s Political Parties and Natural Resource Governance: A Practical Guide for Developing Resource Policy Positions publication, released in April 2018.
Laury holds a master’s in Middle East politics from the University of Exeter and a B.A. in communication arts from the Lebanese American University. She speaks Arabic, French, English and Armenian.
Advisor
Antonio leads NRGI’s advocacy in pursuit of an equitable energy transition. He provides leadership, expertise and programming aimed at reducing fossil fuel dependence, promoting stronger uptake of clean energy, strengthening transparency on climate-related risks and fostering national dialogues in NRGI countries about the impacts and opportunities of the energy transition.
Antonio is a leading expert on climate and environmental justice, social development, poverty reduction and international development. Previously, he served as executive director of the Global Call for Climate Action (GCCA); in several advisory roles with Oxfam, where he led the organization’s policy advocacy targeting UN climate change negotiations from 2006 to 2010 as well as for the Rio+10 and Rio+20 conferences; and with the World Foundation for Environment and Development.
Antonio has followed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process closely since 1992, has advised the governments of Colombia and Bolivia on climate adaptation and finance, and taught diploma courses on international climate finance for civil servants in El Salvador and Latin America. He served as a steering committee member of the UK Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, on the steering committee for the Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC), and is a member of the Advisory Panel for the UN Global Climate Action Awards.
He holds a B.A. in Asian studies and government from Dartmouth College and an MSc in development studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
International Finance and Compliance Director
Martin is responsible for all international finance and compliance-related activities within NRGI. He ensures that critical resource management processes are compliant with NRGI policies and procedures, donor requirements and international good practice.
Martin joined NRGI with 17 years experience in providing strategic leadership and developing high-performing teams to deliver effective financial and operational outcomes. He has worked in various capacities for several international non-governmental organizations, managing donor grants, project finance and contract compliance.
He worked for Street Child UK, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in Tanzania, Save the Children UK, Oxfam International, Concern Universal in Nigeria, BBC Media Action UK, VSO and other international NGOs before joining NRGI.
Martin is a fully qualified member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and has a diploma in first line management and a diploma in business studies.
Amir Shafaie
Legal and Economic Programs Director
Amir leads NRGI’s portfolio of research, policy analysis, technical assistance, capacity development and advocacy related to legal and economic issues. Amir works closely with his team to support the work of NRGI regional and country teams in areas such as legal reform and economic analysis relevant to good governance of the oil, gas and mining sectors, while also contributing to the strategic direction of NRGI more broadly.
Prior to joining NRGI, Amir was a managing associate in the energy, infrastructure and project finance team of a leading international law firm based in London. Amir's pro bono experience includes assisting the International Senior Lawyers Project in advising the Liberian government on a port concession.
Amir has degrees in history and law, both from the University of California, Berkeley. He also studied international relations at Sciences Po. Amir is fluent in English, French and Farsi.
Human Resources Director
Helen oversees the human resources function, and growing team, while leading human resources' continuous evolution and transformation.
Helen is an international human resources professional and organisation development practitioner with over 30 years of working in wide ranging sectors, from hospitality industry and the private sector, to development and humanitarian work. She has led, managed and trained teams for hotels in far-reaching corners of East and South Asia; has been part of emergency response teams during the 2004 Asia Tsunami, the 2015 Nepal Earthquake and the Rohingya Refugee crisis in 2018; and has developed leaders and teams in over 20 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. Helen is a change enabler, a facilitator, an executive coach and cultural awareness consultant. Helen’s passion is leading transformation and building inclusive cultures, empowering people to be at their best to bring about positive change.
Helen is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and an appointed member of the governance and nominations committee for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, as an international human resources specialist. She speaks English, French and Thai.
Erica Westenberg
Governance Programs Director
Erica leads NRGI’s portfolio of research, technical assistance, capacity development and advocacy on government and private sector policies and public oversight mechanisms that shape extractive sector governance. She is a lawyer and provides policy advice in resource-rich countries worldwide, as well as in international multi-stakeholder initiatives. Erica oversees a team of experts based in NRGI’s global and regional offices and contributes to the strategic direction of the organization. She is also a member of the board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
Prior to joining NRGI, Erica was in the energy and infrastructure group at Skadden, where she advised clients on energy, natural resource and infrastructure projects and public-private partnerships in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the U.S. Her pro bono projects included work on parliamentary oversight of extractive industry contracts, as well as engagement through the International Senior Lawyers Project advising the government of Liberia on the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
Erica holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a M.Sc. in development management from the London School of Economics and a B.A. in government from Harvard College. At Harvard, she received a Chayes International Public Service Fellowship to work on legal and judicial reform in Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank.
Fundraising Director
Laura leads NRGI’s fundraising team and is responsible for relationships with the organization’s governmental and philanthropic donors.
Before joining NRGI, Laura served as the U.K. director of Self Help Africa (SHA), an agricultural development NGO. Over the course of nearly ten years at SHA, Laura served in progressively more senior roles, including programme funding manager and head of operations (U.K.). She was the program funding lead, exceeding annual targets of over $30 million and responsible for developing and maintaining effective relationships with a range of grant-makers including international foundations, government donors and high net worth individuals. She also led the pursuit of non-traditional income streams including contracting, tenders, consultancy and social enterprise.
Among her recent notable achievements, Laura secured a €22 million contract with the European Commission to establish and manage a competitive grant mechanism for Kenyan agribusinesses and won a £5 million contract from the highly competitive U.K. Department for International Development’s BRACED resilience program involving multiple partners in the U.K., Burkina Faso and Germany.
Laura holds a certificate in fundraising management from the Institute of Fundraising.