Areas of expertise: Southeast Asia, humanitarian engagement with armed groups and de facto authorities, international humanitarian law, ceasefire monitoring, and contextualized approaches to civilian protection and dialogue.

Biography: Alex Virtanen joined CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation as its Asia Head in 2024. He has been based in the region since 2013 and has held various leadership roles, including Country Director for Geneva Call in the Philippines, Thailand, and Afghanistan, as well as Programme Manager and Head of Field Office for Nonviolent Peaceforce, where he focused on supporting the peace process in Mindanao, Philippines. Alex holds an MSc in Political Science, with a focus on conflict resolution and governance, from the University of Amsterdam.