ILS LEDA Team
Giancarlo Canzanelli
President
Since 1990, he has been working in international cooperation programmes with the aim to improve the development of local economies in developing countries. He supported the creation of LEDAs, as innovative tools for permanent support to human development. He worked with - among others - United Nations, European Union, and Italian Cooperation, providing technical assistance and designing and implementing training programmes.
Vincenzo Milio
Executive Director - Vice President
He has an extensive experience in supporting local economic development processes, with particular reference to local governance, public-private local partnerships, strategic planning, LEDA’s creation and management. He has worked with United Nations, European Union, public and private entities, providing technical assistance, training and research, in several countries of Latin America, Europa, Central Asia, Middle East and Africa.
Giulia Rucireta
LED Project Officer
She has been working in the field of local economic development, involved in programmes financed by the European Union and the Italian Cooperation, with special reference to Latin America, where she has been supporting the design, implementation and evaluation of international cooperation programmes. She was part of LEDA staff in El Salvador providing technical assistance to promote territorial development, women’s empowerment and economic inclusion.
Francesca Acerra
Data Analyst
With a background in international cooperation and human rights protection, translation, project management and data analysis, she has been working in the field of local development in the past years, supporting the design and the implementation of development projects, with particular regard to women’s empowerment and economic inclusion, in the framework of various programmes financed by the European Union, the Italian Cooperation and other donors.
Franco Jimmy Torres Suárez
Area Manager - Latin America
For twenty-five years he has been working on territorial development and sustainability projects in several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. As expert or Coordinator of several United Nations and European Union programs in Haiti, Dominican Republic and Colombia, he has supported local and national actors in the creation of development strategies, search and management of funds,establishment of LEDA and promotion of national and international networks in DEL. He has supported several national and territorial governments in the design and implementation of territorial development policies. He is currently the focal point of ILSLEDA in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Anup Nair
Area Manager - South East Asia
He is the founder of Local Economic Development Society (LEDS), a non-profit in India that works for strengthening local-to-local economies and rural livelihoods through the promotion of local production and marketing. He is an Ashoka fellow and has been providing management and marketing support to social enterprises, collectives and value chains of small producers since 2009. He has also been functioning as a development consultant to Indian rural development ministry as also many state government agencies.
Mirela Koci
Area Manager - East Europe
Since 2006, she has been holding the position of Executive Director of Auleda, the Local Economic Development Agency of the Department of Valona, in Albania. Under his direction, Auleda has grown exponentially, both by providing increasingly qualified services to the population and local actors, and as a reference for European partners in the execution of cooperation projects. She is particularly expert in issues related to social inclusion and gender equality. She supported the creation of LEDAs, as innovative tools for permanent support to human development. She worked with - among others - United Nations, European Union, and Italian Cooperation, providing technical assistance and designing and implementing training programmes.
Giordano Dichter
Entrepreneurship, Business Services and Incubator Expert
He worked in many countries to support the creation of Local Economic Development Agencies. Since 2005, he has been working on strategies for the development of innovations and innovative companies in the territorial economy. He is particularly expert in the creation, improvement and evaluation of Business Innovation Centers (BIC) and in the field of innovative finance. He supported the creation of LEDAs, as innovative tools for permanent support to human development. He worked with - among others - United Nations, European Union, and Italian Cooperation, providing technical assistance and designing and implementing training programmes.
Alejandro Benitez
Local Economic Development Agencies, Social Finance Expert
Since 1992, he has been working in the field of local economic development and for many years he was part of the UN staff to promote territorial development in El Salvador. He is currently the Director of LEDA Morazán that, under his direction, has become a reference model for other LEDAs. He has a wide experience in structuring credit services in disadvantaged areas.
Francesca De Paula
Project Management Expert
She has an extensive experience in technical assistance and international cooperation programmes, with special reference to Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, where she has been supporting the creation of local development agencies (LEDAs), as innovative tools for permanent support to socioeconomic and human development. Experienced in Project formulation, management and evaluation, and in the development of educational and training programmes, notably on MSMES development, women’s empowerment and economic inclusion and territorial development, Francesca has been working - among others – within United Nations, European Union and the Italian Cooperation’s development programmes.
Gabriele Di Stefano
Rural Business Management Expert
From 1999 he worked in the field of local economic development, with particular reference to governance tools, networks of local stakeholders, and rural development. From 2005 he has worked in the field of International Cooperation, dealing with territorial analysis, diagnosis of value chains, development of strategies and plans, creation of Local Development Agencies.
Elvin Hoxha
Local economic Development Agency Expert
Since 2000, he has been working in the field of local economic development, and he has been involved in programmes financed by the Italian Cooperation, the European Union, the United Nations and the Swiss Cooperation. He was technical director of LEDA Shkoder in Albania. He also cooperated to the establishment of a new LEDA in Lebanon. He is particularly expert in designing services to support small and medium enterprises. He supported the creation of LEDAs, as innovative tools for permanent support to human development. He worked - among others - with United Nations, European Union, and Italian Cooperation, providing technical assistance and designing and implementing training programmes.
Mauro Travasso
Budget/Accounting and Administrative Assistant
He serves as support staff for the following duties and responsibilities: 1. ACCOUNTING – Provide support for the budget planning, forecasting, monitoring and reporting, and in particular: he is responsible for initiating commitments, payments and recovery orders in accordance with the Financial Regulation and administrative procedures in place; Assisting in managing budget, credit applications, reporting and other administrative duties; Develop/consolidate timely updates/regular reports on operational budget implementation; 2. OPERATIONAL and ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT: he provides support in administrative and financial related tasks to the other staff members.