Carina Perelli
Executive Vice President
Carina Perelli brings more than 15 years of democracy and governance experience to her role as Executive Vice President. Her professional relationship with IFES began in 1993 and includes field work in the Dominican Republic, West Bank/Gaza and Paraguay.
Ms. Perelli enjoyed an extensive and high-profile career with the United Nations, having most recently served as the director of the Electoral Assistance Division responsible for operations in some 60 countries. She played a direct role in the electoral transitions of countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. She also led efforts to develop a comprehensive regional strategy for political and electoral transition in the Middle East. At the United Nations Development Programme, Ms. Perelli served as deputy director of the Management Development and Governance Division’s Bureau of Policy and Planning.
A prolific writer, Ms. Perelli most recently authored a chapter on electoral transitions in Every Vote Counts: The Role of Elections in Building Democracy. Many of her other writings analyze social and political trends in South America, including her native Uruguay. Ms. Perelli completed postgraduate studies in Government at the University of Notre Dame, has a bachelor degree in social work from the University of the Republic of Uruguay and postgraduate degree in sociology at CIESU/FLACSO.