Lisa Cooper
Founder and Managing Director

KEY COMPETENCIES:  Leadership, Integration and Diversity. Managing, Marketing and  Project Development.

• - Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Pennsylvania State University.  Masters of Business Administration with - Honors from the University of Oslo.
• - 18 years management experience in both the public and private sectors.
• - 10 years of top management experience in telecommunications and defense communications.
• - Public sector experience with the Directorate for Integration and Diversity.
• - Twenty years of on-site international experience in the US, Norway, France and the Baltics.
• - 9 years Board experience on various organisations in public, private and networking organizations. Board  experience includes Simrad Optronics, Nattopharma, The Anti-Racist Center and Fornebu Banken (vara).
• - Served as member of the Strategy Committee of the Norwegian Tourist Authority and, on appointment from the Ministry of Government Administration and Reform, sat on the Advisory Board of Management in the Public Sector.

Dr. Laura Traavik
Research consulant and Minority stakeholder

Key competencies: Theories and research on diversity and negotiations-reconciling different preferences and perspectives. Communicating and disseminating this knowledge.

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology University of British Columbia, Canada (1988): Master of International Business, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, NHH (1991): Dr. Oecon, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, NHH (1998).
• 14 years of lecturing and research experience. Lectured at The Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and currently Associate Professor at  BI ,Norwegian School of Management. Subjects include diversity management, negotiations and international management.
• Current research projects include women and negotiation in Norway, diversity management and practices in Norway.
• Previous research, articles and reports related to international management, diversity management, international women and competency utilization, and negotiations (groups, concession making and gender).
• Member of the International Association for Conflict Management  and the Academy of Management.

Inge Simons of 42 Virtual in Zurich, Switzerland
Research consulant and Minority stakeholder

• M.B.A Cranfield UK, degree in Clinical Psychology from the Free University in Brussels as well as a postgraduate in Strategic Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the UK. 

• Associate of the Centre for Creative Leadership and Lore International
  

• 20 years of international business experience across different industries which include consulting, entertainment, beverages, textile, executive education and advertising
• Coaching certifications from the Coaches Training Institute, the International Coaching Federation, Inner Game Coaching. Qualified in Organisational and Relationship Systems Coaching and Team Coaching. 
• Experienced individual and team coach with a passion for creating extraordinary team performance. 
• Held senior positions with international responsibility in global corporations which include Unisys, Seagram, Management Centre Europe.  Lead the first global multi-language HR system implementation in Europe and Africa, which was used as the catalyst for business process re-engineering. 
• Owner of 42virtual, a Swiss based coaching and consultancy company, founder of Kaleidos, a Belgium based company with a focus on leadership in the corporate and political arena

Heidi Smith
Administrative Assistant

Education:

- University of Oslo, Norway, 2002-2006, Master of Philosophy in Culture, Environment and Sustainability.
- University of San Francisco, California, 1999-2001, Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

Expertise/Interest:

- Advocate for climate change project, Challenge Europe, arranged by the British Council, 2009-2010.  Project aimed at cutting consumption patterns through “swapping” for a greener future.
- Worked as an international journalist producing special reports for the biggest newspaper in the UK, The Daily Telegraph. 2007-2008.
- Writing/editing/communication skills
- Fluent in 3 languages
- Cultural Diversity and Integration
- Research experience on the impacts of global tourism on rural areas

Irene Erhardt-Wästberg
Consultant

In the late 1980's Irene was one of the first in Norway to develop an assessment process to help women and young people to succeed in the job market in Norway.   Irene was one of the founders of the Association of International Professional and Business Women in 1994, and was active in many programs to promote diversity and women in the business world both in Norway and abroad.  Irene has been invited as a speaker to conferences and seminars in Norway, Europe and the U.S. lecturing on life and job management, networking,   women's issues and diversity. Irene was also Senior Advisor to the Public Affairs Office at the American Embassy from 1996 to 2005, with responsibilities for developing and coordinating cultural, thematic and exchange programs, maintaining an extensive high level contact network within both the public and private sectors.

Jennifer Varino
Consultant

Key Competencies: Project management, creative marketing strategy & implementation, writing/editing, event management, relationship building
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Journalism/Advertising with minor in Sociology, Louisiana State University
• 15+ years experience in creative communications, including international projects and companies such as MTV Networks
• Advisor on EMMY-winning cultural documentary which profiled Detroit's successful inner-city youth music theater
• Focus on corporate social responsibility and non-profit arts
• Co-administrator in 2006/2007 for Top 10, a Leadership Foundation project
• Currently Vice Chair on the Board of the Association of International Professional and Business Women
• Norway’s representative to the European Professional Women’s Network
• Seven years of Board experience (non-profit sector)
 

David R. Megathlin
Consultant

Key Competencies: Diversity strategy, project management, corporate social responsibility, LGBT inclusion, women’s leadership and global diversity.
Education: MBA – Handelshogskolan/Stockholm School of Economics; MA with focus on international social culture; Fulbright Scholar.

• 7 years experience leading international research projects on diversity and inclusion
• Published 10+ articles on LGBT inclusion – in business and society
• Experienced consultant with Fortune 500 companies, on topics including: diversity strategy, communications strategy and corporate responsibility
• Experienced university lecturer
• 2 years board experience (non-profit sector)

Tristana Pirkl
Research Assistant

Education: 
•  Stanford University, Palo Alto California, 2006 – present. To graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Biology at Stanford University in 2010
•  Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, Washington D.C. 2002-2006, graduated with honors
Expertise/Interest
• International women and children’s health, and interested in community, organizational, social, and individual health as a full definition of health, as well as the promotion of women’s health in the interest of the health of all
• Research experience with the Stanford Department of Psychology in their psychology and neuroscience lab
• Organizational and fundraising executive experience with Stanford Dance Marathon, an organization that raises money for Partners in Health, a community based health non-profit.

Lisa Woodbury-Warmbo
Administrative Assistant

Education:
• University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, 1980-1984.  Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Education.
• Helped to bring makeup specifically created for the woman of color to Sweden by founding her own cosmetics company in Stockholm         
• Studied at Art Instruction Schools in Minneapolis, MN
• Apprenticed under Norwegian knitwear designer Kåre Lunde

Expertise/Interest:
• Independent artist with a passion for portraits in watercolor and acrylic.
• Interested in website consulting, email and social media marketing
• Interested in specialized advocacy and strategic media outreach, giving support and guidance to minority groups

Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen
Consultant

Key Competencies:

• • Strategic and day-to day management of large and small organizations
• • Diversity, Equal Opportunity, Social Integration, work against discrimination and racism, promotion of human rights
• • Human Resources Management

Education:

• • Bachelor of Law (Paris), admission to the Bar in 1988 (Paris)
• • Special education (post graduate), Oslo University College