Derek Brien, Executive Director
Derek first arrived in the Pacific in 2000 when he led the implementation of the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) in Vanuatu. He has since worked in a number of countries in the Asia-Pacific region including: Australia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vanuatu and Vietnam. Prior to that Derek worked on a diverse portfolio of social and economic development projects in Australia and Britain. With a background in urban and regional planning, Derek has a solid history in public policy. His speciality is the application of communication tools to improve social awareness and debate on policy issues. Derek holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Planning) from the RMIT University, Australia.
John Licht, Programme Manager
Prior to joining PiPP in 2009, John was working in the Trade Department of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat where he was instrumental in engaging stakeholders across the region on issues relating to the Mode IV and Temporary Movement of Natural Persons. He was also involved in policy reviews, advice and negotiations on behalf of Forum island countries on market access within the region and in Europe. John started his career with the Vanuatu Department of Trade and Industries in 1999. He has also served as General Manager Operations and General Manager Customer Services with Vanuatu Post Limited. John holds a Masters degree in Trade and Development from the University of Newcastle, Australia.
Bimbika Sijapati Basnett, Senior Research Officer
Bimbikat joined PiPP as Senior Research Officer in 2008, and supervises our ongoing research on the following themes - climate change, gender, governance and infrastructure. Prior to joining PiPP, she has worked for a number of international organisations such as CIDA, Panos Institute, World Wide Fund for Nature, World Resources Institute and more. Bimbika has a PhD in Development Studies from the London School fo Economics and Political Science, and is the author of a number of articles on telecommunications, gender, and natural resource governance.
Ellen Bitalau, Executive Assistant
Ellen joined the PiPP in July 2008 as Office Manager bringing a rich history of experience working in both Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. Before joining PiPP, Ellen worked with the Equity Investment Group Ltd and has previously worked with the Vanuatu National Statistics Office, the Vanuatu Sustainable Forest Utilization Project, Solomon Airlines and the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education.
Ben Kaurau, Research Officer
Ben joined PiPP in June 2008 and has been engaged in a number of research projects, including leading the field work on the socio-economic assessment of telecommunications liberalisation in Vanuatu. Ben is currently part of the team undertaking a study into politcial and voter behavior in Vanuatu. Prior to joining PiPP, Ben worked for the National Statistics Office and has been actively engaged in community planning, negotiation and mobilisation on a range of socio-economic issues.
Frida Bani, Communications Officer
Frida initially joined PiPP under the research intern programme and has contributed to a number of studies, including the the socio-economic assessment of telecommunications liberalisation in Vanuatu. She is currently preparing a paper assessing Vanuatu's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Prior to joining PiPP, Frida has been closely associated with her local community on various social issues, including: gender equity, sustainability of natural resources, unemployment, environmental degradation and land development. Frida is currently undertaking studies at the University of the South Pacific in Port Vila.
People