Lucas Olo Fernandes appointed Interim Internal Managing Director

Cobus de Swardt appointed External Managing Director

Transparency International is pleased to announce the appointment of Lucas Olo Fernandes as Interim Internal Managing Director of the International Secretariat for the period of three months. Cobus de Swardt was named External Managing Director.

The move followed a decision by International Board of Directors to split the Managing Directors’ role in order to enable the organisation to achieve the ambitions set out in its Strategy 2020 Together against Corruption and was also made to facilitate the planned organisational transformation that is underway at Transparency International’s Secretariat and allow de Swardt to focus on Transparency International’s global advocacy.

Reporting to the Chair and Vice-Chair of the International Board of Directors, Lucas Olo Fernandes will coordinate the Secretariat’s operational changes until a permanent Internal Managing Director is appointed as well as manage the 2017 budgeting process.

A lawyer by training, Lucas Olo Fernandes joined Transparency International as Regional Coordinator for Central Africa in 2012. He started his career in Spain at the University of Zaragoza in 2004 as a researcher and project manager. He has wide experience in the anti-corruption field through working for Dow Jones (Risk and Compliance) and as a consultant for many anti-corruption organisations. He is founder of cesge.org and former member of CEIDGE, one of the most important NGOs in Equatorial Guinea, his home country. He has an LLB and two LLM degrees from the University of Zaragoza and speaks fluently Fang, Spanish, English and French.

In his new capacity, Cobus de Swardt will lead on major strategic anti-corruption issues facing the global Transparency International movement and represent the movement in international fora and the international media as well as work jointly with Lucas Olo Fernandes on the Secretariat’s fundraising efforts and the 2017 work plan. He will work directly with the International Board of Directors as well as support the movement on capacity building matters.

Cobus de Swardt joined Transparency International in 2004 and became the Secretariat’s Managing Director in 2007. Previously, he taught and worked at universities, multinational corporations, trade unions and research institutes in managerial and research related roles around the world. During the 1980s and early 1990s, he was active in the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa including as Chair of the African National Congress in Cape Town. He holds a PhD in Sociology from La Trobe University, Melbourne, and an MPhil in Political and African Studies from the University of Cape Town.

For a full biography of Lucas Olo Fernandes, please click here.
For a full biography of Cobus de Swardt, please click here.

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