The CESR Board has appointed Dr. Maria Ron Balsera – our current Director of Program – as Interim Executive Director. She will be supported in this role by Rosa Pavanelli and John T. Green from the Board. With over fifteen years of experience, Maria brings remarkable expertise in linking the fields of fiscal justice to economic, social, and cultural rights, which greatly strengthens our mission of building bridges between movements advocating for systemic transformations.
Before joining our team, Maria served as the coordinator of the Tax and Education Alliance, a partnership of international, regional, and national tax justice and education constituencies. She has also worked at ActionAid International, the Right to Education Project, Human Rights Watch, the Universities of London (Institute of Education), Roehampton (UK), and Bielefeld (Germany). Maria holds a Ph.D. in Education and Human Development from Bielefeld University, an MSc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics, an LLM in Fundamental Rights from Universidad Carlos III, and a Diploma in Education from UC Berkeley. She will be supported in this role by Rosa Pavanelli and John T. Green, from the Board.
Reflecting on the transition, Maria shared her vision: "I am honored to step into the role of Interim Executive Director. CESR’s 30-year legacy and brilliant team offer a solid ground for a successful leadership transition. I look forward to guiding the implementation of our new strategy, and to continue advocating with our team and partners to transform the world’s economic governance".
You can read our departing Executive Director, Meghna Abraham's farewell message here.
CESR’s Board