A Team of Experts in Project Management, Financial Management, Communication, and much more
SAFE was created by a group of specialists who have dedicated the last fifteen years to cooperation and development projects around the world. The expertise of our team is what makes SAFE different from any other similar organisation.
SAFE’s team of experts has a wide range of skills and know-how, such as:
Project management within the framework of projects funded by the European Union and other international donors
Drafting of project proposals, particularly in the areas of security and defence
Management and implementation of funded projects, following every aspect, including financial and logistical management
In addition to our in-house staff, through our associates we ensure the mobilisation of professionals from the public security agencies of EU Member States, researchers from top European universities, high-level project managers and sectoral specialists, offering a unique mix of expertise in our target areas (Security Sector Reform, Defence, Peace and Stability, Freedom and Fundamental Rights, Monitoring and Evaluation).
SAFE staff is supported by a Panel of Senior Advisors, which guides SAFE from a technical, ethical and strategic point of view.
Manager and project Director for over 100 large EU funded TA projects focusing on SSR, innovation for law enforcement, civil-military cooperation, rule of law and human rights. M&E expert, implemented security-related covering over 1B€ of EU funding. His academic background includes a degree in international economics, a Master in Laws and a post-graduate in Criminology.
Michele Nones is Vice President of SAFE Foundation.
A graduate of the University of Genoa, he was a professor of the Luiss University in Rome until 1992 at the Faculty of Political Science.
Since 1984, he has carried out studies and consultancy in the aerospace, security and defence sector on behalf of public bodies, research centres and institutes, companies and industrial associations.
He was a consultant to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in the Office of the Military Adviser for the Defence from 1992 to 2018. He was also Head of the Security and Defence Programme of Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), of which he has been Vice-President since 2019.
From 2001 to 2017, he was an advisor to the Ministry of Defence – General Secretariat of Defence/National Armaments Directorate – for international agreements concerning the defence market. From 2014 to 2018 and from 2020 to 2022, he was Advisor for European Affairs to the Minister of Defence.
In addition to his institutional and scholarly activities, he collaborated with the newspapers Il Sole 24 Ore and Corriere della Sera, and currently works with Affari Esteri, Airpress, AffarInternazionali and Formiche.net.
Developed over 80 international projects in the EU, the Balkans, Eastern European countries, Northern Africa, Middle East and Central America. M&E in-house expert, Silvia holds a degree in international economics, a Master in International Cooperation and Master in Project Management at Boston University.
She is fully fluent in English, Italian, Spanish and French.
Jill Thomas is a Subject Matter Expert on Fight against Organised Crime, Asset Recovery and Management. She has collaborated with SAFE since 2019 on a project basis, notably within the BAMIN – Balkan Asset Management Interagency Network initiative, and on advanced capacity-building programmes such as EUROJUST, delivering training on judicial cooperation in criminal matters across the Western Balkans and the Euro-Mediterranean region, and JUST-SHARE, aimed at strengthening judicial cooperation through enhanced asset recovery mechanisms. Through her work, Jill helps strengthen professional cooperation across the Western Balkans, supporting the effective pursuit, management and confiscation of assets linked to organised crime and corruption.
Jari Liukku is a Senior Associate and Subject Matter Expert on Fight against Organised Crime, Financial and Economic Crime, AML/CFT. He collaborates with SAFE on a project basis, notably contributing to EU-AMAL. Jari is a senior law enforcement specialist with extensive expertise in AML/CFT, corruption prevention, and the fight against serious and organised crime. He brings long-standing experience at both operational and strategic levels within EU law enforcement agencies and Europol.
Dr. Wengler is an international expert in CBRN and HAZMAT response, emergency management, and counterterrorism, with over 18 years of military and law-enforcement experience. He previously served as a police officer and as a staff member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
He has led and supported international CBRN programmes and projects across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, including multiple EU-funded CBRN initiatives. His expertise spans operational policing, international programme and project management, applied research, and capacity building in complex, high-risk security environments.
In his current role at Safe-Europe, Dr. Wengler is engaged as a consultant and ad-hoc subject matter expert, contributing to specific, project-based assignments that require specialized CBRN and security expertise. He currently collaborates as well on a project basis with NATO and INTERPOL and serves as a lecturer at various universities, and is also a certified CBRN instructor.
Dr. Wengler holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering (CBRN) and an MSc in Security Studies.
Federica Genna is a Senior Associate at SAFE and current Member of the Management Board. With an academic background in International Relations and International Security, Federica is an experienced project manager and researcher in the fields of defense, good governance, and the rule of law. Prior to joining SAFE, Federica worked for the Council of Europe, NATO and the Dutch consultancy Ecorys. At SAFE, Federica supports business development and acquisition efforts and manages a number of projects for an overall value of more than EUR 3 million. She is fluent in English, Spanish, French and Italian and conversational in Russian.
Pierre is a senior security professional and officer of the French Gendarmerie, with expertise in countering transnational organised crime and terrorism. At SAFE, he brings hands-on experience in strengthening cooperation between cooperation between military, law-enforcement, and justice practitioners, with a strong focus on protecting civilians and building operational capacity.
Alessandro Castagnetti is a Senior Data Analyst and Economist specialized in Applied Economics.
After his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, he obtained a PhD in Economics from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. He has done research periods at the New York University and published scientific research in prestigious academic journals.
He collaborates in the implementation of international projects that require data processing and analysis. He also manages European projects in the fight against environmental crimes.
Alessandro Marani is an Associate at Fondazione SAFE,
Alessandro has more than 5 years’ experience in the international security field and in project management. He has managed and implemented EU-funded projects in the security and defence sector, in particular in the field of counter-terrorism, border control, protection of critical infrastructure and public spaces, maritime surveillance, OSINT and HUMINT techniques and CBRNe. Prior to his current role, Alessandro served as a Project Manager at another company, a Policy & Lobby Officer at Amnesty International and Project Officer at UNESCO.
BA in International Law from Sorbonne University, he also holds a MA in International Affairs and Development from University Paris Dauphine – Ecole Normale Supérieure and another in International Relations from Sorbonne University.
Fluent in Italian, French and English, with knowledge of Russian and Hebrew, Alessandro excels in multilingual and multicultural environments.
Stefano Mazzaro is Associate at Fondazione SAFE, where he works mainly within defence and security projects with a focus on innovative technologies. As part of this role, Stefano is involved in EDF, EDIDP, and EDA-funded initiatives. He is also actively involved in business acquisition activities and is currently member of a NATO Science and Technology Research Task Group.
Prior to joining SAFE, Stefano worked as external consultant at the NATO Stability Policing Centre of Excellence. He holds a BA in International and Diplomatic Sciences and a MA in Strategic Sciences, and has attended specific courses dealing with the stabilization and reconstruction of areas affected by armed conflict and conflict analysis.
In 2020, he also obtained a University Master in International Humanitarian Law and Law of Armed Conflict at the Italian Center for Higher Defence Studies in Rome.
Matteo Sabadin is an Associate at SAFE, following Defense and Security projects, with a focus on the development of innovative technologies and testing activities performed in the Calvarina Testing and Training Area (IT). With a background in Engineering, he previously worked in Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for a logistics corporation.
Valentina Ambrosi is the Financial Manager at Fondazione SAFE, where she oversees corporate accounting and financial monitoring for various donor-funded projects.
She manages the financial oversight and auditing of more than 25 initiatives, with a total budget of approximately €10 million.
Valentina holds a degree in Economics and Business Management from the University of Trento, where she specialised in financial planning for small and medium-sized enterprises. Following her studies, she managed administrative, financial, and logistics operations for an Italian manufacturing company with an international presence. She also completed the Executive Master in Third Sector and Social Enterprise at Università Cattolica of Milan.
Maddalena is a security and crime prevention specialist with over seven years of international experience gained at OSCE, the United Nations, and INTERPOL. She has developed strong expertise in threat analysis, project management, and security policy development, with a particular focus on counter-terrorism, conflict prevention, and anti-corruption.
She has field experience in high-complexity environments, including the Donbass region of Ukraine, where she contributed to ceasefire monitoring and risk assessment activities.
At SAFE, Maddalena is responsible for implementing projects in the fields of security, defense, and CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) risk management, supporting the development of innovative approaches to operational preparedness and crisis response.
She is fluent in English, Russian, German, and Spanish. Maddalena holds a Bachelor’s degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences from the University of Bologna and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna.
Barbara obtained a degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures from the University of Verona and took part in the Erasmus project at Hedge Hill College in Ormskirk, UK.
At SAFE she is responsible for recording and checking purchase invoices of goods and services from suppliers, recording bank transactions, dealing with tax compliance requirements and support in general bookkeeping tasks.
She worked for over 20 years for a company dealing with food export to the UK market. She was in charge of processing orders and of the accounting and administrative departments.
Barbara is fluent in English and has a basic level of French.
Jessica is responsible for the financial reporting and monitoring of SAFE Foundation’s projects, and she also provides support in the oversight of general accounting activities.
With a strong professional background in both commercial and administrative fields, Jessica plays a key role in supporting the Foundation’s financial and economic management.
Graduated cum laude in International Cooperation at the Catholic University in Milan, Victoria has several professional and personal experiences in Italy and abroad.
After an internship to the Italian Embassy in Yerevan (Armenia), Victoria worked for an Italian Private Security company in Milan. Before joining SAFE, she was Junior Project Manager in a consulting company where she specialized in Result Oriented Monitoring (ROM) activities for International Cooperation and Development Communication projects.
Victoria is an active member of the Italian Armenian community, and, thus, she wrote several articles and studies on the Caucasus region issues.
Annachiara brings over six years of experience in project management and international partnerships within the non-profit and institutional sector. At SAFE, she supports project coordination and collaboration, combining a strong academic background in Economics and International Relations with a truly international mindset.
Marco is a 3D Designer and XR Developer with experience in creating 3D environments, Digital Twins, and assets for immersive experiences. He holds a master’s degree in Networked Multimedia Arts – Net Art and Digital Cultures from the Brera Academy of Fine Arts (MI).
At SAFE, he works as a consultant for the development of XR applications, focusing on the design and creation of immersive experiences.
Yuri is a software developer specialising in XR (Augmented and Virtual Reality) applications.
With a degree in Computer Science, he has extensive experience in developing video games and immersive solutions for various sectors. He previously held a position as a computer science instructor, where he conveyed his expertise and enthusiasm for technology and programming to students.
Currently at SAFE, he is involved in the development and programming of innovative and professional XR applications.
Josi is a communication and marketing graduate with a strong background of almost 10 years in graphic design, branding, and marketing. At SAFE, supports the communication team by creating digital and offline visual content, contributing to its institutional communication and project dissemination.
Linda has a strong academic background in International and Diplomatic Sciences and in Leadership in International Relations, complemented by a long experience in a diplomatic context. At SAFE, she supports project activities with a keen interest in policy coordination, and international cooperation.
