Catriona Gourlay

As PeaceNexus’ Executive Director, Catriona guides the foundation’s overall strategic direction in collaboration with the board, oversees the foundation’s project management, and supports the development of each sector.

Before joining PeaceNexus, Catriona worked as an independent consultant, providing research, analysis and training to organisations working in conflict-affected contexts. From 2005 to 2009, she was the Marie Curie Research Fellow at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), where she conducted projects on EU and UN crisis management and peacebuilding.

From 1995 to 2005, she was the founding Executive Director of the International Security Information Service, Europe, an independent research organisation based in Brussels working on European conflict prevention, peacebuilding and security policy. She has also written extensively on the development of civilian crisis management, peacebuilding capacities and policies, and has provided research support, training facilitation, and policy advice for the European Commission, the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the UN Development Programme, several EU Member States, and a range of NGOs.

Catriona holds a PhD in International Relations from Lancaster University, a Masters in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford.