Catarina Caria is Program Manager at the Institute for Economics & Peace. Before joining the non-governmental sector, Catarina worked in three major diplomatic missions in Portugal, where she worked on public affairs, trade and investment, strategic communications and outreach – dealing with a multitude of issues ranging from regulatory and commercial compliance, cybersecurity and defense, startups and SMEs, education, D&I and sustainability. Catarina has global experience spanning 4 continents, engaging with a network of various stakeholders and managing projects at the intersection of companies, universities, peace and economics. Women, peace and security, and sustainable development are her areas of specialization and she received a Fulbright scholarship. As a visiting fellow at the University of Virginia, Catarina carried out research on the implementation of the United States Strategy on Women, Peace and Security. Catarina is part of the advisory board of different national and international organizations. Most recently, she was appointed member of the strategic council of the largest confederation of companies in Portugal (CIP) – shaping the attractiveness of foreign direct investment and the country’s competitiveness. In 2023, she was appointed Young Leader to join an official Portuguese delegation to New Delhi, at the invitation of the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Catarina is a guest lecturer and published author on Women, Peace and Security. Catarina is an experienced speaker in Brussels and a weekly opinion columnist for Jornal de Negócios. He has a Master’s degree in Governance, Leadership and Democracy Studies from the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and a degree in Political Science and International Relations from Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.