Impactpool Career Podcast

In this episode, we talk to Thomas Neufing, currently heading the Centre for Learning and Multilingualism (CLM) at UNOG. Thomas has focused over the last 15 years on leadership and management development programmes. Listen about his educational and professional background in various development programmes and humanitarian and peacekeeping assignments.

In this episode, we had the opportunity to talk to Maudo Jallow, currently working at the Tony Blair Institute alongside the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Accra, Ghana.

Maudo is a young professional that has worked for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as well as the founder of New Nation, an NGO in The Gambia, his country of origin.

Listen to his educational background and motivations that inspired him to choose this career path. Maudo shares exclusive tips for all young professionals interested in working with the United Nations and/or other organisations in the development sector.

Michelle Walker is the People Business Partner for International at Leonard Cheshire in London. Michelle has a long-standing experience working in human resources. In this episode, Michelle explains the impact their organization has while working with people experiencing some form of disability, how they ensure that their workplace is inclusive, and how it all once began.

- We are a pan-disability charity and in a nutshell we support individuals to live, learn and work independently as they choose whatever their ability and we do that globally, says Michelle Walker.

Alexander Hauerslev Jensen is the Chief, Commercial Officer at Be my Eyes in Denmark. Be my Eyes is a mobile app that is bringing sight to blind and low-vision people. In this episode, Alexander explains how Be my Eyes works and the background to why it was initiated.

- And people really want to help out and I think it’s beautiful to see that in a world where news and all politics can be slightly depressing every now and then, it’s just nice to see that people just want to help each other out. Like Be my Eyes does not discriminate in any way, we don’t care about your race, your beliefs, your sexuality or anything like that. It is just connecting someone who needs help with someone who can provide that help. And I think that connection is really pure and beautiful, and a lot of people want to be a part of that, says Alexander Hauerslev Jensen.

Niels Lohmann is the Team Lead Capacity Development at UNV in Bonn. Niels has worked with human resources and in particular with aspects facing persons with disabilities for a long time. In this episode, he explains what the role of UNV is, and how they ensure that persons with disabilities are included in recruitment processes.

- Around the theme of inclusion and disability, so that is specifically looking at how do we become more accessible and inclusive in our volunteer mobilization activities, how do we enable people with disabilities and special needs also serve as volunteers within the UN system, says Niels Lohmann.

Marko Vuoriheimo is the founder and CEO of Chabla in Finland. Chabla is a mobile app that allows deaf to make and receive phone calls through an interpreter. In this episode, Marko explains how Chabla works and the background to why he started it. Marko is using sign language and the voice we hear in the podcast is the translator’s.

- Just spontaneously want to go to a bank and discuss with somebody, I can’t do that because I’m deaf and all hearing people seem to be afraid of me if I do that. So this was something I got really fed up with and I decided that I wanted to do something about this problem myself, I wanted to find a solution, says Marko Vuoriheimo.

Rohit Kakar is the Head of Human Resources at Kiron in Berlin. Rohit has longstanding experience in working with human resources. In this episode, he explains how Kiron helps refugees to have access to higher education, and how his own background has inspired him to join this field of work.

- What we actually believe in is that education can change lives, transform communities and build bridges and therefore we have built a digital platform called the Kiron campus to ensure that our students receive access to high-quality education not just for academic and professional purposes but also for personal growth, says Rohit Kakar.

Lizzie Merrill is the Chief, Operating Officer at Ignitia in Ghana. Lizzie has extensive experience in working with both aid organizations as well as social enterprises. In this episode, she explains how her work helps small scale farmers improve their farming capacities, what it’s like to work with a social enterprise, and how to develop a successful innovation project.

- So when I learned about social entrepreneurship, which was both the sort of direct impact working with customers and beneficiaries and a sort of sustainable business model, this I think, this is the nexus that I want to work in, says Lizzie Merrill.

Lisa Akero is the Gender and Diversity Coordinator at IFRC in Geneva. Lisa has extensive experience in working with gender and diversity issues. In this episode, she explains how her work ensures a gender and diversity perspective in all emergencies, what it’s like to work with gender and diversity, and why she ended up in that field in the first place.

- I find it extremely important and very very motivating when you can see change, when you can make change happen. When you can support processes or action that creates for a more equal and faire society, says Lisa Akero.

Marta Aretakis Terne is the Head of Marketing and Communication at Better Shelter in Sweden. Marta has a longstanding experience in Marketing and Communication. In this episode, she explains how her work has helped displaced persons receive a good shelter, what it’s like to work with a social enterprise, and how to develop a successful innovation project.

- So we are the innovators and our role is to be the fast and the agile and the less bureaucratic organization and partner to these big, big aid providers. We can work a lot faster but we can also help them try concepts and we can help them try ideas that they would not be able to do, says Marta Aretakis Terne.