Kirsi Joenpolvi - Head, Africa

Kirsi Joenpolvi is the Head of CMI's Africa Programme and has a leadership role over CMI's activities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her responsibilities include partnership and activity development as well as fundraising for the Africa Programme. Kirsi Joenpolvi joined CMI in 2007 and has acted as Post-War Statebuilding Adviser and Deputy Director of Programmes. Since 2010, Ms. Joenpolvi has headed the Africa Programme.

Prior to joining CMI, Ms Joenpolvi gathered extensive experience in policy analysis and strategy development in international cooperation both in Asia and in Africa. She has worked with AusAID and APA Development Ltd in China and with Save the Children and the European Commission in Ethiopia. Her areas of expertise include capacity building, state strengthening and donor coordination. With CMI, Ms Joenpolvi has pioneered a model for the use of mobile applications in post-war statebuilding (see Governance out of a Box).

Kirsi Joenpolvi holds a Masters Degree in International Relations from the University of Tampere (Finland) and a Certificate from Fudan University (P.R. China).