Elizabeth V. Kassinis is Executive Director of Caritas Cyprus, a grassroots humanitarian organisation supporting the poor, migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, where she leads strategy, operations and partnerships. She took up the role as Cyprus became the EU's largest recipient of asylum seekers per capita and works where policy meets daily reality. She is Co-Chair of the European Philanthropic Initiative for Migration (EPIM), appointed among the first cohort of non-foundation members and represents the Middle East and North Africa region on the Complaints Handling Commission of Caritas Internationalis.
She brings more than three decades in conflict resolution and international development to this work. From 1998 to 2015 she held a range of positions at USAID, responsible for over $100 million in programming, designing and implementing initiatives across private sector development, environmental and cultural heritage management, and intercultural integration, working with both public and private partners. She later provided strategic guidance to the EU-funded CYENS Centre of Excellence in Nicosia on engaging Turkish Cypriots to fuel scientific and economic growth across the divided island. She began her career as a humanitarian affairs officer with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and holds degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Cornell University.
