Advocacy

María Alejandra is an International Sustainable Business Lawyer with academic foundations in Colombia and Italy. With over 10 years of experience across NGOs, law firms, and the financial sector, she has a strong expertise in ESG, CSR, sustainable finance, sustainable trade and climate policy—particularly within the agri-food sector. As Global Advisor at amfori, María Alejandra leads the strategic ideation and development of cross-functional initiatives, operational projects, and multi-stakeholder synergies. Her work focuses on identifying and shaping impactful collaborations and partnerships that align with members’ needs and scale amfori’s mission of promoting sustainable trade. She works closely with internal teams and external stakeholders to transform complex sustainability challenges into concrete, high-impact actions!

John Poon joined amfori in May 2024 as Advocacy & Engagement Advisor for the Asia Pacific region. In this role, he is responsible for delivering amfori’s advocacy and stakeholder engagement activities across Asia, focusing on sustainable trade, responsible supply chains, and ESG-related priorities. John brings over five years of experience in public policy and public affairs, with a strong background in policy analysis, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining amfori, he served as Public Affairs Manager at Tencent and as Assistant Manager for Business Policy at the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. He holds a Master of Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Communication (Journalism) from Hong Kong Baptist University.

Amanda is an Environmental Policy Advisor at amfori, supporting the organisation’s advocacy on environmental issues in global supply chains, including due diligence, transparency, deforestation, climate change, and the circular economy. She also helps members navigate policy developments and keeps amfori’s sustainability tools aligned with evolving regulations. Previously, Amanda held roles at CSR Europe, ShareAction, and the Alliance for Rural Electrification, leading advocacy on energy access, sustainable finance, and international cooperation. She holds a BA in Business Management from the University of Valencia and an MSc in Climate Change and Environmental Policy from the University of Leeds.

Stuart began his career at the UK Government’s trade department before being seconded to DG Trade at the European Commission, where he focused on intellectual property and market access. This experience provided him with a comprehensive perspective on trade policy at national, EU, and international levels. At amfori, Stuart is responsible for trade and customs matters, with a particular focus on the integration of sustainable development into these areas. He regularly contributes his expertise to panels across the Brussels institutions and has authored several papers on anti-dumping.

Kathy Roussel serves as Head of Advocacy and Engagement at amfori, where she is also a key member of the leadership team. In this role, she helps shape the organisation’s strategic direction and is instrumental in delivering the vision set by amfori’s members and Board of Directors. Since joining amfori, Kathy has been a strong advocate for open and sustainable trade, driving initiatives that align with the organisation’s mission. With academic qualifications in Political Science and European Law, Kathy brings over two decades of experience in public affairs. Before joining amfori, she led the Brussels office of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and held the position of Secretary General at the CDL, a European platform for national agri-food promotion bodies, which later merged with the European Trade Promotion Organisation (ETPO).

Valentina is Senior Social Policy Advisor at amfori, where she supports the organisation’s advocacy efforts in the areas of social sustainability and supply chain policy, with a particular emphasis on human rights due diligence. Before joining amfori, Valentina worked on sustainability issues within the tech sector, covering topics such as responsible sourcing, substance restrictions, energy and material efficiency, waste management, as well as repair and refurbishment. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in international relations.