Alexander is a recognised academic researcher with extensive field experience in Bhutan, India, and Nepal. In 2017 he became a fellow of the Austrian Academy of Science’s Institute for the Cultural and Intellectual History of Asia. Before joining Global Goals Consulting, he taught classes on Tibetan and Buddhist philosophy that explored the concepts of knowledge and causality. In addition to various forms of knowledge production in Asia and Europe, his interests include the rights and expression of cultural and religious minorities. Alexander’s private sector experiences include Himalayan ecotourism and indigenous, sustainable food production. He helped build a hospital in rural Tanzania and also worked with people with disabilities.
Alexander completed his Ph.D. in Transcultural Studies at Universität Heidelberg and earned a Magister of Philosophy (Tibetan and Buddhist Studies) at Universität Wien. He is PRINCE2 certified and speaks English, German and Tibetan.
Patrick offers 20 years of experience in development effectiveness and strategic planning at global, regional and country level. A recognized RBM expert, Patrick chaired the UN Strategic Planning Network, which brings together planning and RBM managers across 40 UN entities. He managed UNDP’s development effectiveness team, and led the secretariats of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation and the International Aid Transparency Initiative. Previously he served as UNEP’s first chief of quality assurance, and advised the executive director on corporate results and resource management. Recent publications and works include The Amazon Moment - A New Business Model for the UN at the Country Level, Guidance on Establishing, Managing and Closing Multi-Donor Trust Funds, and the partnership section of the new UN Development Assistance Framework Guidance.
Patrick holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and a Magister of Philosophy (Political Science and Chemistry) from Universität Wien. He has been a certified PRINCE2 Practitioner (level 2) since 2005 and speaks English, German and French.
PATRICK TIEFENBACHER
Justin has over 15 years of private sector experience in marketing, brand building and business development. Providing access to banking services to students, university graduates, and young professionals was a key aspect of his work at a major South African bank. At MTV and VH1 he forged partnerships with educational institutions and leading retail companies, with a focus on cross-departmental marketing campaigns and red-carpet events. In the lead-up to the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, he developed outreach strategies on behalf of UNEP. In addition, Justin has first-hand experience with small businesses, both as a founder and early start-up collaborator in information technology and knowledge management.
Justin holds a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing from New York University and undergraduate degrees in Communication and Marketing Communication from the University of Johannesburg. He is fluent in English, German and Afrikaans and has a working knowledge of French.
Associate Researcher
Senior Associate Researcher
Carmen spent the last 30 years working on environment and development issues as a leader and manager in international organizations, national environment authorities, NGOs and academia. She designed, implemented, and quality-assured donor-funded projects in a variety of organizational settings. As UNEP’s deputy director of regional cooperation, the management of results across all regions was one of her key responsibilities, together with RBM training of country-level staff. Carmen previously served as deputy global manager of the UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme and director of the project coordination unit of Corporación Ecofondo in Colombia. More recently, she performed large-scale evaluations and progress reviews for the Climate and Land Use Alliance, the Global Environment Facility, MacArthur Foundation, and the World Bank, among others.
Carmen holds a graduate degree in social anthropology from Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, México. She is fluent in Spanish, English and French, and has working knowledge of Italian and Portuguese.