LEVINIA ADDAE-MENSAH is the Executive Director of WANEP. She is a peace and security practitioner with close to twenty years’ experience in Conflict Prevention, Conflict Management and Peace Support Operations. Her passion in peacebuilding has driven her to work in extremely dynamic and volatile contexts such as in Rwanda, Burundi, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire. In addition, she has also worked in different capacities on projects across the globe. Her professional career began with International Alert in the UK where she worked in different capacities on projects and programmes in Europe and in the Great Lakes of Africa. She then joined the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) for 5 years initially as the Special Projects Coordinator and then as the West Africa Regional Coordinator of WANEP’s Active Non-violence and Peace Education Programme, a programme she pioneered in 8 countries in West Africa. Levinia worked as an independent consultant in Botswana for 3 years from where she joined the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in May 2008 and served severally as the Programme Coordinator of the Small Arms and Light Weapons Control Programme within the Research Department, Course Manager with the Training Department, Head of Programmes and finally as the Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.

Levinia re-joins WANEP after having broken the glass ceiling as the first and only female member of the Executive Management Committee of KAIPTC and with diverse competencies including developing and managing projects, monitoring and evaluation, designing, developing and delivering training, strategic planning and organisational development. She is fully bilingual in French and English.

Mrs. Esther Gordon-Mensah is presently the HR / Administrative Manager of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) responsible for ensuring the smooth, efficient and effective operation of the regional secretariat of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding. She has worked with WANEP since its inception in 1998. Esther Gordon-Mensah holds a first degree in Economics with Geography;  has a certificate in Comparative Development Studies from Trent University, Canada (a joint programme with the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Ghana; Certificate in Peacebuilding from summer peacebuilding course at the Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia USA. She also holds a Professional Certificate in Human Resource Management Practice and is a Member of the Institute of Human Resource Management Practitioners, Ghana (IHRMP, Ghana).

She possesses excellent Interpersonal, Verbal and Written Communication and Analytical skills. She has remarkable experience in procurement, planning and developing Human resource policies. She is hardworking, reliable, a good team player and has exceptional skills in events management. She has lectured at different fora on Events Management, Administrative and Human Resource issues.

RAYMOND DARKO is a Ghanaian and currently serves as the Finance Manager. He joined WANEP in 2012 as an Accountant. He has over 20 years of experience in the Accounting and Finance field. As Head of Finance, he oversees the proper management of the finances of the organisation by ensuring that proper accounting and internal control systems are maintained and donor and statutory requirements are strictly complied with. Raymond has extensive knowledge and experience in Accounting, Auditing, Finance, Taxation, Financial Modelling and Administration and has provided Financial Management trainings to Network Finance Managers and Sub-grantees in countries such as Senegal, Togo, Guinea and Benin. Raymond has successfully managed funds from donors such as USAID, EU Delegation, UNWOMEN, SIDA, ADA, DANIDA and GIZ.

Prior to joining WANEP, he worked with International Marine & Dredging Consultants (Consultants for the Korle Lagoon Project) as an Accountant for 8 years. Raymond holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce (B.COM) from the University of Cape Coast and is in the process of completing the final level of ACCA. Raymond possesses great communication and interpersonal skills and has a drive for creative, analytical and constructive thinking in carrying out his tasks.