Martina Perino is the Senior Technical Specialist for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance at Democracy International (DI), bringing over a decade of experience working across Africa and the Balkans. As a thought leader, she leverages her extensive expertise to oversee and guide programming across multiple continents. Before her current role at DI, she served as the Director of Strategy and Design, where she successfully drove organizational growth through strategic business development, evidence-based decision-making, and the cultivation of key partnerships.

Prior to joining DI, she served as a Program Manager with an implementing partner in Washington D.C., where she focused on the Great Lakes and Southern Africa regions. In this capacity, she successfully increased regional funding by 50 percent by strengthening partnerships both in Washington D.C. and on the ground, identifying new programming opportunities. Until August 2019, she worked with USAID/Kosovo as a Democracy and Governance Strategic Planning Specialist, where she played a key role in designing the Mission’s Country Strategy and developing programs aimed at strengthening legislative bodies, political parties, media, civil society organizations, local governance, and countering violent extremism. Additionally, she has held roles with the European Union in Zambia, where she led the electoral strengthening and rule of law portfolio, as well as with implementing partners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she focused on civil society strengthening and advocacy initiatives.