IFES Welcomes New Regional, Finance Leadership
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is pleased to welcome Mary Au into the role of Senior Director of Finance, Seray Jah to Regional Director for Africa, and Vasu Mohan into the role of Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.
Together, Au, Jah, and Mohan bring over seven decades of experience in their respective fields. These appointments reflect IFES’ exceptional talent pool and IFES’ commitment to promoting from within whenever possible.
“These appointments highlight IFES’ ability to retain the very best in our field,” said IFES President and CEO Anthony Banbury. “Mary, Seray, and Vasu are committed to IFES’ mission and to serving their colleagues, and I am proud to continue working with them in their new roles.”
Mary Au brings over 25 years of experience in global finance and a deep understanding of IFES’s systems, donor requirements, and organizational priorities. Her appointment reflects IFES’s commitment strong, steady financial leadership.Going forward, Au will serve as the principal financial manager for IFES and joins the Executive Leadership Team. For more on Au’s background, visit her profile page. As part of this transition, Oksana Trofimova has been promoted from Senior Manager to assume the role of Controller with oversight of financial operations.
Seray Jah brings over two decades of experience in electoral management and democratic governance to his new role as Regional Director for Africa. Jah will continue to serve concurrently as IFES Country Director for Nigeria. Jah has supported election management bodies in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Sudan, and South Sudan, working with the United Nations and IFES to conduct landmark elections. For more on Jah, visit his profile page.
Vasu Mohan previously served as Asia Pacific Regional Director before becoming IFES’ Senior Global Advisor for Conflict and Displacement and Country Director in Nepal. Since joining IFES in 2001, he has led programs across 22 countries. In addition to his new role, Mohan will continue to serve as IFES’ Senior Global Advisor for Conflict and Displacement. For more on Mohan, visit his profile page.
IFES extends its gratitude to Melika Atic, outgoing Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, and Clara Cole, outgoing Regional Director for Africa, for their dynamic leadership and dedicated service to IFES’s mission of building resilient democracies that deliver for all.
IFES also extends its heartfelt appreciation to outgoing Chief Financial Officer Leonard Williams, who departs to pursue personal business endeavors. Williams leaves IFES in a strong financial position, having helped steer the organization through one of the most challenging periods in its history.
“I am extremely grateful to Leonard for his dedication, deep thinking, and strategic drive to ensure IFES survived this genuinely unprecedented year in our history,” IFES President and CEO Tony Banbury said. “Knowing that we had Leonard overseeing our financial response to this year’s events was a source of tremendous reassurance during a particularly challenging time.”
