Organisation
The Global Challenges Foundation is based in Stockholm. The work of the secretariat is supported by the board, and a group of expert advisors.
Find out more about the Global Challenges Foundation’s organisation.
The Secretariat
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Pamilla Andreasson
Head of Finance and Administration
Pamilla leads the Foundation’s work with finance, human resources, and administration. She has previously held positions such as CFO at the media agency group A-Com and CEO of its subsidiary, A-Com Ekonomi. Pamilla has also served as Director of Finance at Stiftelsen Världsnaturfonden WWF and as CEO of its subsidiary, Världsnaturfondens AB.
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Embla Bergström
Coordinator and Junior Project Manager
Embla works with administration across the Foundation’s operations as well as supporting its work with partners. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies and a Master’s degree from Uppsala University. Embla has experience in civil society working with gender equality, as well as from her time as an intern at the Swedish Embassy in Tirana.
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Lewis Day
Communications Officer
Lewis leads the organisation’s communications, working across a range of projects, as well partner collaborations. Lewis has a background in Film and Television and studied Journalism. He previously worked at the Gapminder Foundation as a Content Producer where he produced reports on misconceptions surrounding climate and refugee issues.
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Eva Mineur
Head of Climate and Sustainability
Eva leads the Foundation’s work on climate and sustainability. She holds a PhD in Political Science and has broad experience from research, government agencies, and international work. Her focus has been on climate policy and evaluation, sustainable development, and governance. Eva has previously held positions at the Swedish Climate Policy Council, the Swedish Research Council, and the Expert Group for Aid Studies.
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Anna Möller-Loswick
Head of Common Security (Parental leave)
Anna leads the Foundation’s work on common security, with a focus on global governance approaches to peace and security. She has gained experience from various sectors, including civil service, civil society, and multilateral organizations, and has worked on peacebuilding, peace mediation, and women, peace, and security. Anna has held positions at the Folke Bernadotte Academy, the OSCE, and Saferworld.
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Anja Olin-Pape
Head of Programmes
Anja leads the Foundation’s efforts on UN reform and policy issues, focusing on global risk governance, accountability, and the science/policy interface. She gained experience at the Swedish Ministry of Environment, where she worked at the Stockholm+50 conference. Anja also chaired the Joint Council on Youth in the Council of Europe, addressing human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
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Michael Wernstedt
Acting Head of Common Security
Michael leads the Foundation’s work on common security, with a focus on systemic risk, global governance, and institutional resilience. He is a trained lawyer with extensive experience from civil society and international policy processes, where system change has been a consistent focus. Michael has held senior leadership roles at the Raoul Wallenberg Academy, Ashoka, and Inner Development Goals.
Board
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Jan Andersson
Chairman
Jan has served as the editor-in-chief for Affärsvärlden, a Swedish business magazine, and as the head of research at Alfred Berg Investment Bank in Stockholm. After working in the capital markets in London, he also held roles as an independent board member and chairman for Swedbank Robur Fonder, Sweden’s largest mutual fund company.
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Mats Andersson
Board Member
Mats is the former Chief Executive Officer at the Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund and has a long history of working in senior management positions in the Swedish and international capital markets. He actively engages in global environmental issues, most recently collaborating with the United Nations.
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Jennie Banér
Vice Chairman
Jennie is a labor lawyer and central negotiator at the Swedish Confederation of Transport Enterprise. She previously worked as an attorney and junior associate at Hamilton and Roschier law firms.
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Christer Jacobsson
Board Member
Christer previously served as the CEO and Chief Analyst at the Alfred Berg Group, the Nordic region’s largest investment bank at that time. Additionally, he has a background as a stock market commentator and market manager for the business newspaper Affärsvärlden. Currently, he operates his own business at Bergsrådet Kapital.
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Anna Lindstedt
Board Member
Anna started her career as a journalist and became a diplomat in 1990. She has served in Indonesia and Pakistan and has been Sweden’s ambassador to Vietnam, Mexico, China, and Mongolia. Anna was involved in negotiating the Paris Agreement during her time as climate ambassador and chief negotiator. She currently serves as an advisor for green transitioning at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs unit for promotion and sustainable business.
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Caroline Sundewall
Board Member
Caroline started her career with six years within banking for Chase Manhattan Bank and Handelsbanken. She also worked for publications such as Affärsvärlden and as the head of the business section of the daily newspaper Sydsvenskan. She has been a board member of companies such as Electrolux, Lifco, Swedbank, Telia, Haldex, and Hemfosa. Caroline currently sits on the board of AMF-dominated forest company BSÖ, Elanders, and Ystad Summit, as well as being a consultant for a number of family owned companies.
Advisors
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Richard Gowan
Senior Advisor
Richard is the United Nations Director for the International Crisis Group, focusing on the UN Security Council, peace operations, and conflict prevention. He is an Associate Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, he worked at NYU’s Center on International Cooperation, taught at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and wrote for World Politics Review. Richard has contributed to Foreign Affairs, Global Governance, Global Policy, and other academic and policy journals.
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David Obura
Senior Advisor
David is the Founding Director of CORDIO East Africa, an organization supporting the sustainability of coral reefs and marine systems in the Western Indian Ocean. He chairs the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and has a PhD in coral reef ecology. David’s research focuses on the impacts of coral reef resilience, biogeography, and climate change. He has also participated in global initiatives like the Earth Commission and the UN Ocean Decade. David was awarded Kenya’s national honour, Moran of the Burning Spear, and the Coral Reef Conservation Award from the International Coral Reef Society.
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Jens Orback
Strategic Advisor
Jens earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics before starting his career at the Swedish Ministry of Finance. He later transitioned to broadcasting and worked as an anchor on Swedish Television. After some years, he re-entered politics and held the position of Minister for Democracy, Integration, and Gender Equality in the Swedish government from 2004 to 2006. Before joining the Global Challenges Foundation, Jens was the Secretary-General at the Olof Palme International Centre. In addition to his role at the Foundation, Jens serves as an adjunct board member.
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Johan Rockström
Senior Advisor
Johan is a globally recognised scientist who focuses on addressing global sustainability issues. He currently serves as the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) director. Additionally, he provides advisory support to various governments, business networks, and international gatherings, such as the United Nations General Assemblies, World Economic Forums, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC).
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Natalie Samarasinghe
Senior Advisor
Natalie is a thought leader, speaker, and writer on global issues and governance with two decades of experience across multilateral institutions, civil society, local government, and philanthropy. She has held roles such as Global Director of Advocacy at Open Society Foundations and Chief of Strategy for UN75. Natalie co-founded the 1 for 7 Billion campaign and the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice. She holds degrees from Oxford and the London School of Economics and won the New Shape Prize in 2017.