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Our Leadership Team

Executive Team


Aubrey Cox Ottenstein 
Global Executive Director

Aubrey Cox Ottenstein joined as the Executive Director of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) in September 2019. Prior to joining YPFP, she served as the lead for youth programs at the United States Institute of Peace. In this role, Aubrey elevated the role of youth in peacebuilding and increased the inclusion of young people in peace and security processes.

Aubrey has spent most of her career working on issues of inclusion, peace and security. Prior to joining USIP, Aubrey worked in a double-bottom line impact investment fund focused on financial inclusion at Accion International. Earlier, she conducted field-based monitoring and evaluation research for Operation Smile. Aubrey holds a bachelor's degree from the Beatty Business School at the College of Charleston and a master's degree from the School of International Service at American University. She and her husband live in Washington, DC. 

Aubrey Cox Ottenstein

Global Executive Director


Tyler L. Cundiff
Chief of Staff

Tyler L. Cundiff has served as YPFP’s Chief of Staff since March 2020. In leading YPFP’s team of 100-plus global volunteers, he provides strategic guidance and operational support to programs and initiatives across the organization.

Tyler is a special assistant at the George Washington University, where he facilitates senior leadership efforts. He previously served as a policy advisor and delegate for the Republic of Malta to the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland, handling a portfolio focused on peace and security issues.

A native of Hawaii, Tyler earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and communication from the University of Southern California while playing volleyball for the Trojans. Having begun graduate studies in international affairs at the Graduate Institute Geneva (IHEID), he is currently working toward a master’s degree at the Elliott School of International Affairs.

Tyler L. Cundiff

Chief of Staff


Colleen Moore
Communications Director

Colleen joined the YPFP team as Communications Director in May 2019. During the day, she is the Digital Engagement Manager for Beyond the Bomb and Global Zero, creating content to promote the message of eliminating nuclear weapons. Colleen has experience in campaigning for justice and peace issues, including ending U.S. support for the war in Yemen, promoting human rights and justice in Indonesia and East Timor, working for a peace treaty between North and South Korea, and ending the occupation of Palestine. Colleen received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Relations and Political Science from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from American University's School of International Service.

Colleen Moore

Senior Director, Programs

Headquarters Team

Antoine Battle
Membership Director

Antoine Battle

Co-Director, Membership


Ben Goodrich
Director of Communications

Ben Goodrich has been a member of YPFP since August 2018 and been on the Communications team since January 2019. He became Director of Communications in January 2020.

Ben currently works in government affairs and communications at COSSA, an advocacy non-profit focused on social science and research funding in the federal government. He enjoys a wide array of responsibilities including supporting COSSA's federal advocacy efforts, curating COSSA's communications materials, and providing direct support to the Executive Director. Ben joined COSSA following a brief stint with Global Citizen, an international non-profit concerned with poverty alleviation, where he worked as a policy & government affairs assistant.

Born and raised in the Upper Midwest, Ben graduated with a Bachelor's in Political Science and History along with an African Studies minor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018. In his free time, he enjoys playing and listening to music and can play several different instruments including guitar, piano, and saxophone.

Ben Goodrich

Director, Communications


Thamar Harrigan
Youth Summits Director

Thamar Harrigan is an international trade attorney, legislative policy expert, and economic development advisor.  She holds both a Juris Doctorate and a Masters of Law in International Business, which she obtained in China from a joint program between the National University of Singapore and East China University of Political Science and Law.  She previously served as an Obama presidential appointee as the Senior Advisor for Intergovernmental Relations at the U.S. Department of HUD. Prior to this, she served as Senior Advisor to the Ambassador of the Republic of Haiti at the Embassy in Washington, DC.

Thamar Harrigan

Director, Youth Summits


Evelyn Heck
Newsletter Editor

Evelyn Heck joined YPFP summer 2019 when she moved to D.C. after graduating from the University of Notre Dame in May. She works for the Rumsfeld Foundation, a non-profit focused on free economic and political systems within the U.S. and abroad. She assists in facilitating the many activities of the Foundation, including the Central Asia-Caucasus Fellowship Program and the Graduate Fellowship Program, as well as with relations with the Foundation’s network of partners, Fellows, military charities and more. She gained experience in public policy and diplomacy through internships with the U.S. Senate, UK Parliament, and the U.S. Department of State. She loves to run, explore new places in D.C., and has a passion for chocolate chip cookies and football.

Evelyn Heck

Editor, Newsletter


Marc Larance
Head of Programs

Marc volunteers as Head of Programs organizing events and developing partnerships with various international organizations in DC. When he’s not wranglin’ speakers for events, he sits at a desk at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs begging people not to click on the phishing links they receive. Beyond that, you can find him taking silly pictures of his dog or reading obscure history books.

Marc Larance

Deputy Director, Programs


Benjamin Lutz
Co-Membership Director

Ben has volunteered with YPFP since October 2018 and he joined as a member in September 2018. As Membership Manager, he works with all of YPFPs global members by making data-driven decisions. He also is in charge of the technical database, Wild Apricot, which manages all aspects of the membership experience. Ben received his BA in International Politics from Elon University and his MA in Middle East Security and Peace Studies from the University of Bradford. He speaks Arabic and enjoys the vibrant cultural scene of DC.

Benjamin Lutz

Co-Director, Membership


Sarah Martin
Social Media Manager

Sarah Martin is YPFP's Social Media Manager, and joined YPFP in August 2017. Sarah is currently a Program Associate for the Europe and Eurasia Program at Freedom House. She provides administrative and financial support to projects bolstering freedom of expression and the protection of journalists in the region. Prior to Freedom House, Sarah was a research assistant at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA) in Vienna, Austria, where she followed the first dimension of politico-military affairs. Sarah has a bachelor's in business administration and Russian studies from American University, and a master's in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University.

Sarah Martin

Manager, Social Media


Sean McGuffin
Director & Managing Editor

Sean is the Director & Managing Editor of YPFP’s fellowship program, having started with the fellowship in 2017. During the day he works in finance at Booz Allen and graduated from Old Dominion University in 2016 with a BA in International Studies and Political Science. Sean’s greatest interests are travel and history, and he is determined to always have visited more countries than he is years old.

Sean McGuffin

Director, Fellowship Program


Jenn Perron
Director, Discussion Group Program

Jenn is the Director of the Discussion Group Program, where she leads a division of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy comprised of over 20 discussion groups, each holding monthly meetings on current topics in foreign affairs.

She currently works on international affairs & climate change at a think tank in Washington, and previously worked at MIT, the University of Michigan, and in non-profits. She has worked on climate change for nearly decade, and her areas of focus include U.S. and international climate policy, the nexus of climate change and international development, and climate change adaptation. Broadly, her interests include furthering international cooperation on climate, stakeholder and civil society engagement in climate policy, and the role of networks in advancing multilateral environmental governance processes.

Jenn holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Policy from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, camping, kayaking, the ocean, yoga, gardening, & meditation. You can find her on LinkedIn.

Jennifer Perron

Director, Discussion Group Program


Courtney Powell
Head of Special Events

Courtney Powell

Director, Special Events


Paul A. Sherman
Global Operations Director

Paul A. Sherman is Global Operations Director at YPFP. Currently, he is the Senior Programs Manager at the Society for International Development, Washington Chapter. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in public policy, focusing on European affairs and French. He served as Co-Managing Photo Editor at The Michigan Daily and Contributing Writer/Online Journal Editor at the Michigan Journal of International Affairs. He also gained experience in diplomacy and American foreign policy through internships with the Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray, the American Embassy in Paris, France, and the Wilson Center.

Paul A. Sherman

Director, Global Coordination


Shane Szarkowski
Editor-in-Chief

Shane Szarkowski is the Editor-in-Chief of Charged Affairs, the in-house foreign policy digital journal of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP). He has four years of editorial experience involving heavy volumes of research and writing around EU institutions, renewable energy and financial policy. Shane is a recently conferred PhD (International Relations) from Oxford Brookes University where he wrote on the convergence of identity and state-building policy in Afghanistan. He is well-traveled, having lived in six countries in the past two decades, and is looking forward to settling somewhat permanently in the DC area to help cultivate the next generation of foreign policy thought leadership.

Shane Szarkowski

Editor-in-Chief, Charged Affairs

Brussels Team


Adrian Garcia-Esteve
Executive Director, Brussels

Adrian Garcia-Esteve is the Executive Director of YPFP Brussels. From December 2018 through January 2020, Adrian served Director of the Brussels Communication and Marketing team, and was responsible for leading on strategy development, coordination, and team management. Outside of YPFP, Adrian serves as CEO for Europe and Chairman of the Board of Res Terrae SRL, an international trading company specializing in sustainable agricultural products and raw materials, and works with Think Film Impact Productions as Director for Impact Strategy, supporting global political advocacy campaigns that seek to create positive social impact through award-winning films and inclusive policy dialogues.

Adrian Garcia-Esteve

Executive Director, Brussels


Alicia Jensen
Managing Director, Brussels

Alicia is our new Managing Director of YPFP Brussels, taking the reigns from February 2019. She was previously a member of the Security and Defence team. Her background includes a focus on nuclear weapons, and on transatlantic security perspectives and she has worked at the US embassy in Helsinki and as OSINT Analyst in Brussels. In her current position outside of YPFP she focuses on European defence policy analysis.

Alicia Jenson

Managing Director, Brussels

London Team


Gurjinder Dhaliwal
Executive Director, London

Gurjinder Dhaliwal is Executive Director of YPFP London, where he is responsible for overseeing the growth and sustainability of the location. He was previously Managing Director and has primarily focused on securing and fostering partnerships with embassies, think tanks, politicians and corporates.

Gurjinder is a Management Consultant at Deloitte in which he specialises in Public Sector Business Model Transformation. He has prior experience working for the Cabinet Office and is a graduate of International Politics from King’s College London.

Gurjinder Dhaliwal

Executive Director, London

Hannah Hill

Managing Director, London


Ian Perrin
Director of Programming, London

Ian is the Director of Programming at YPFP London, where he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the events programme. He has a Master’s degree in Latin American Politics, and has extensive experience in International Relations. 
 
Ian previously worked for the prestigious foreign affairs think tank Chatham House, and currently works for Canning House, one of the world’s leading fora on Latin American politics, economics and business, where he is the head of policy, research and operations. 

Ian Perrin

Director of Programming, London

Elisa Cattaneo

Director of Communications, London

New York Team


Chris McCarthy
Executive Director, New York

As the Executive Director of YPFP New York, Chris McCarthy sets the strategic direction for the group, ensuring it remains as vibrant, ambitious, and engaging, as it has been throughout its 10 year history in the city. It is a responsibility he is familiar with, having served in the same role for YPFP in London before moving to the U.S. in 2016.

Chris's background is in politics and public affairs having worked as Senior Adviser to a former British foreign secretary. He has supported and led projects providing additional capacity to international NGOs helping victims of conflict and sexual violence, as well as tackling the illegal international transportation of wildlife goods.

After leaving the public sector he moved into public affairs and political risk, helping clients better understand, and navigate, volatile markets and uncertain geopolitical environments. His work has reinforced to him the vital importance of YPFP's mission to amplify NextGen voices to help address many of the critical challenges in foreign affairs today.

Chris McCarthy

Executive Director, New York


Alexandra Calloway-Nation
Director of Business Development,
New York

Alexandra Calloway-Nation is the YPFP - New York Director of Business Development. She is a financial crimes consultant and has worked at the likes of J.P. Morgan Chase, Société Générale, and KPMG. Alexandra received her M.A. in International Trade and Economic Diplomacy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and B.A. in International Economic Development from Portland State University. Alexandra is originally from Montana, and enjoys reading, spending time in the outdoors, and writing articles on international affairs in her free time. 

Alexandra Calloway-Nation

Director of Business Development, New York


Colin Wolfgang
Communications Director, New York

Colin Wolfgang is the Communications Director for the New York branch of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, overseeing both internal and external communications with the New York membership. Colin is an independent political and communications consultant with experience working on issues such as healthcare, gun control, and labor, as well as directly on political campaigns. He has published foreign policy blogs and a weekly newsletter, as well as contributed to the Huffington Post. He received his Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Boston University.

Colin Wolfgang

Communications Director, New York


Andy Laub
International Chapters Liaison, New York

Andy Laub is the International Chapters Liaison for the New York branch. He is also the Director of Outreach and top DPRK Analyst for a new media start-up, Political Insights. Before transitioning to foreign policy, Andy was active in politics volunteering on the campaigns of John Kerry and Barack Obama. Andy also served as Staffer for three years for Congressman Eliot Engel (NY-16), the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He recently received his Master's in International Relations from NYU.

Andy Laub

International Chapters Liaison, New York


Dylan Johnson
Finance Director, New York

Dylan is a senior at New York University Stern completing his degree in Business and Political Economy. Half of his university education was spent abroad, first studying in London for sophomore year and splitting junior year in Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. While in the Middle East, Dylan worked as an analyst intern for Le Beck International, a security risk consulting firm. He has done institutional research on Yemen and Egypt, at research centers in Tel Aviv and Washington D.C.
 
As the Finance Director for YPFP's New York branch, Dylan handles expenses and budgeting, working with the executive team to ensure that YPFP's vision in the city is financially sustainable.
 
In his free time, Dylan enjoys practicing Arabic, watching films, playing music, and cooking new recipes.

Dylan Johnson

Finance Director, New York

San Francisco Team

Toronto Team


Timothy McGuire
Executive Director, San Francisco

Tim is the Executive Director of YPFP San Francisco, where he is responsible for overseeing the growth and sustainability of YPFP activities in the Bay Area. He is focused on securing partnerships and amplifying public-private sector dialogue. In his day job, he works on data analytics and engagement at the Defense Innovation Unit in Silicon Valley, accelerating commercial technology for national security. Tim is a U.S. Air Force veteran with more than 10 years of experience in the fields of logistics, linguistics, cyber operations, and in offices of inspectors general. Before joining YPFP in 2018, Tim was a fellow with Veterans in Global Leadership.

Timothy McGuire

Executive Director, San Francisco


Reema Bazzi
Executive Director, Toronto

Reema is a Master of Global Affairs and Public Policy graduate from the University of Toronto, where she focused her education on researching and engaging in policy practices that address some the country’s, and the world’s most pressing issues such as climate change and sustainability, and immigration policies. Through work experience, ranging from frontline refugee resettlement, to government, and now consulting for government and public sector clients, she has learned the value of integrating creative and bold solutions with pragmatism. Reema’s repertoire of experience as a young woman having moved through various sectors, has helped her better understand the importance of elevating and supporting fellow youth in achieving their career goals.

Reema Bazzi

Executive Director, Toronto

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