A Senior Officer with almost 30 years of professional experience in positions of progressively increasing responsibility at national and international levels, including many years in advising FAO Executives (Office of the Director-General and Deputy Director-General). Ms Otto is a German national that has worked as an international civil servant for non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies. She holds a Master’s degree in Soil Sciences and Agro-chemistry from the Timiryasev Academy in Moscow.

Ms Otto started her career in Central Asia where she worked for German Agroaction, and subsequently became the FAO Head of Office in Tajikistan. In October 2004, she moved to the FAO Headquarters in Rome where she managed technical cooperation portfolios for Asia, Europe, and Central Asia and Pacific. From 2006 onwards, she served in positions with increasing seniority, advising two consecutive Directors-General. In October 2013, she was appointed Senior Advisor to the Deputy Director-General, Climate and Natural Resources, advising on effective leadership, management and coordination (strategic/political) for the technical arm of the organization.

After 14 years of experience in the FAO Headquarters, in 2019 Ms Otto moved to the FAO Liaison Office to the United Nations in New York as a Senior Liaison Officer.

Through her work, she has acquired excellent knowledge in FAO technical fields related to topics like natural resources management in the agriculture sectors (agriculture, fisheries, forestry, biodiversity, genetic resources), sustainable development, climate change, rural development, food and nutrition security, 2030 Agenda, UN Reform, Rome-based Agencies, and Small Island Development States, among others. She feels strongly committed to teamwork, transparency, and the value-for-money concept.

Lucas Tavares is a sustainable development specialist and journalist with over 25 years of experience. He joined FAO in 2007, in Chile, as communications consultant at the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, later transferred to Rome as adviser to former Director-General José Graziano da Silva and currently serves as Senior Liaison Officer at the Liaison Office to the United Nations in New York.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, Lucas organized national FAO communication teams into an informal regional network, partnered with media organizations to showcase FAO’s work, and led the development of a food safety campaign targeting indigenous communities in their own languages.

In Rome, Lucas was the Director-General’s speechwriter, contributed to the implementation of and reporting on FAO’s programme of work and supported high-level engagements with UN and other partners.

At FAO New York, Lucas is part of a small team contributing to positioning food and agriculture in the UN agenda, supporting Member States as they debate and negotiate issues on the global agenda, and working with other members of the UN family to increase coordination and delivery.

Before joining FAO, Lucas worked in public and private print and online media, TV, and radio, as a producer, reporter, editor, live events coordinator, and foreign correspondent.

Lucas has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a master’s degree in Policy and Government.

In April 2019 Conor joined the FAO Liaison Office to the United Nations in New York, bringing 20 years of professional experience in managing large humanitarian and development operations, and complex programmes in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia for private-for-profit, not-for-profit, NGOs, and civil society organisations.  

Prior to joining the FAO team in New York, Conor worked for FAO in Afghanistan as a Resilience Programme Development Officer, and before that, at FAO Headquarters in Rome where he supported the work of emergency programmes in the Middle East and North Africa. 

Conor’s work in the international NGO sector culminated in his role as  Director of International Programmes for a large INGO, where he managed the work of 18 country offices and the delivery of programmes (circa €200m) in a range of conflict, post-conflict, and fragile states, as well as for more stable environments in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Conor has also spent many years working as a consultant for private sector firms, and has specific experience leading strategy development and advising Senior Management on delivering programmes and expanding businesses in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. During the last 20 years, Conor has been directly responsible for managing over 500 million dollars in contracts from international organisations and governments, including multiple United Nations (UN) agencies.

In New York, Conor leads FAO’s engagement in in the agendas of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, resilience and climate change, including conflict, food crises, refugees, returnees and climate change, specifically as they relate to FAO's mandate. Conor also facilitates the representation of the Global Network against Food Crises with Member States and UN agencies in New York.

Conor has a master’s degree in the Sociology of Globalisation and Development.

In January 2024, Florencia joined the FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations in New York as Communications Officer. She has almost 12 years of experience working in the field of international communications, over 9 of which she spent at FAO in various capacities.  

Florencia has a wealth of experience in communicating on a wide range of topics to technical and non-technical audiences of varying ages and backgrounds. She is well-versed in managing social media accounts and coordinating digital campaigns, curating exhibits, content production in multiple languages, coordinating High-Level events and outreach activities, and producing content for a wide range of platforms in a wide range of formats and multiple languages.  

Prior to joining the Liaison Office in New York, Florencia was part of the Social Media team, managing FAO’s main English-language corporate accounts, as well as major International campaigns and FAO-led observances.  

A Uruguayan national born in Zimbabwe, Florencia holds a Masters of Science in Science Communication from the University of the West of England and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Related Literature from the University of York.  

Elisa Noetinger joined the FAO Liaison Office in New York in August 2016, as an Assistant to the Director. Prior to joining FAO, she worked as a translator for the Mission of Uruguay to the United Nations in New York, as well as for the Embassies of Peru and Spain in London. A graduate in Translation and Intercultural Communication from Birkbeck College University of London, Elisa comes from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Panagiotis Mitoglou joined the FAO Liaison Office in New York in June 2015. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Aegean University in Greece, and a Master’s degree in Political Science and Government from the Long Island University. Prior to joining FAO, Panagiotis worked with various property management businesses in New York City. He has extensive experience in contract administration, budgetary and finance planning, as well as recruitment processes.