STAFF

Roxana Cristescu is the Head of CMI’s Programme in Eurasia and the Director of EU relations. She leads CMI’s programme activities in the region. Ms Cristescu joined CMI in 2009 and previously worked as Adviser for the Black Sea and Central Asia Programme, with a special focus on CMI’s mediation related activities. Before joining CMI, Cristescu worked in various conflict affected areas including Ethiopia, Sudan, Kosovo (Mitrovica Region), Moldova/Transdniestria, Ukraine and Lebanon.

She holds a BA in Political Sciences from the University of Bucharest, two Master’s Degrees from Florence and Rome University in Mediation and Security Studies. She is currently enrolled for a Master of Science in Mediation Studies at Queens University, Belfast. Cristescu is among others a member of the United Nations Mediation Roster and a member of the UN Women, Central and Southeastern Europe (CSEE) Sub-regional Roster of Experts.

Tiina Kukkamaa-Bah is the Head of CMI’s Sub-Saharan Africa Programme.

Ms. Kukkamaa-Bah joined CMI in 2019 and has previously worked at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights as a Chief of the Democratic Governance and Gender Unit based in Warsaw, Poland as well as at Political Parties of Finland for Democracy, Demo Finland as the Executive Director. She has also worked with a number of Finnish development NGOs, including Kepa as a Project Adviser based in Tanzania.  She holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences (Sociology) from University of Helsinki, Finland.

Hanna Klinge serves as Deputy CEO since May 2021. Prior to this, she served as Acting Executive Director (January 2020 – April 2021). Ms Klinge joined CMI in January 2018 as the Advisor to Executive Director and the principal lead on strategic partnerships.

Hanna Klinge’s background is in international relations, primarily in managing strategic partnerships, large scale projects and people. Prior to joining CMI Ms Klinge worked as Country Director at the British Council Finland leading its work in Finland. The broad institutional portfolio included several international capacity building programmes, policy dialogue initiatives, and publications. Ms Klinge is experienced in forging strategic partnerships and alliances across public, private and third sectors. She has specialized in social development and innovation, equality and inclusion issues, and social enterprise. Ms Klinge has studied and worked in Greece, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland. She holds an Executive Master in International Negotiation and Policy-Making from Geneva Graduate Institute, and a MA in Cultural Studies and Social Sciences from Helsinki University. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK).

Elina Lehtinen is in charge of strategic planning in CMI’s external and internal communications. She has worked for over a decade in media and communications related posts in the USA, Middle East, UK and Finland.

Prior to joining CMI Lehtinen worked in Doha, Qatar as a Senior Communications Consultant for Bell Pottinger, a leading communications consultancy. Previously she has served as a political correspondent and journalist with the Finnish Public Broadcasting Corp. (YLE TV) and different divisions of the Sanoma Corporation.

Elina holds a Master’s degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and international politics. She also holds a Master’s degree in journalism and philosophy from the University of Helsinki and a diploma from the private Sanoma School of Journalism in Helsinki.