STAFF

Oskari Eronen is the Head of Asia Programme at CMI since 2018, and currently serving also as Interim Head of Eurasia.

He has previously led CMI’s Policy & Learning activities and the Programme Management Office, responsible for development of effective methodologies for mediation, including planning, monitoring, evaluation. He joined CMI in 2012.

Mr. Eronen has previously worked at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs as Adviser for Security and Development as well as in several research positions related to international peace and security, with a focus on civil-military affairs. He has over 15 years of experience in conflict management and peace mediation, and is specialized in process design, effectiveness and learning. He holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences (Political Science) from University of Jyväskylä, Finland.

Maruan El-Krekshi is the Head of CMI’s Middle East and North Africa and leads CMI’s programme activities in the region.
El-Krekshi joined CMI in 2011 and previously worked as Senior Programme Manager for the Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Prior to joining CMI, El-Krekshi served as a Governance Programme Officer with UNDP in Yemen for 3 years, working on elections, human rights, transparency, justice sector and civil society capacity development related projects. He has also worked for the World Food Programme, where he served as a Policy and Programme Support consultant in the Office of the Executive Director, in addition to short assignments with UNHCR and UNDP programmes in Libya. He holds a Master’s Degree in Development Studies from the University of Helsinki.

Areas of expertise: Mediation, Dialogue, Gender & Inclusion

Biography:  Johanna Poutanen serves as the Head for Women in Peacemaking, leading CMI’s organisational priority on strengthening the role of women in ongoing peace processes and enhancing gender sensitive mediation capacities of key actors globally.

Ms. Poutanen has extensive experience in peace mediation and conflict management, with a proven track record in advising and leading inclusive dialogue processes in diverse contexts. She joined CMI in 2013 to first serve as Country Manager for South Sudan based in Juba. Prior to this, Ms. Poutanen worked for Demo Finland to support constructive cross-party dialogue in transition contexts, including years of support to Nepal’s peace process based in Kathmandu. Ms. Poutanen has also worked for a variety of international agencies in the field of peace and security, including the Strategic Planning Unit of the UN Secretary-General in New York, the Finnish Embassy in Nepal and community dialogue initiatives in e.g. Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Kenya. Ms. Poutanen holds a Master’s degrees from the University of Helsinki and Harvard Kennedy School of Government. For the Fall 2019 Ms. Poutanen joined Durham University (UK) as a teaching and research fellow in project Mediation for the 21^st Century with a focus on women’s participation and inclusivity.