We are pleased to present the candidates standing for election to join the board of Engineers Without Borders International and open the voting window.

Your vote counts. Our diverse network of national EWBs share a common ethos and Engineers Without Borders International can bring value to the global movement by providing coordination; supporting participatory decision making and distributed leadership.

Decide who is at the decision making table. We have seven (7) candidates for three (3) board seats.

  1. Read through the candidate profiles, provided alphabetically by full name below
  2. Head over to the voting form and cast your vote
  3. Encourage others in your EWB network to vote
  4. Watch your inbox for the results announcement after voting closes on Friday 3 February 2023, 23:59 UTC.

The candidates

Each candidate has been nominated by their national Engineers Without Borders organisation and has provided a short statement regarding their motivation, intention and expertise. They are listed alphabetically by full name as below:

  • Håkan Kårdén, Member, EWB Sweden
  • Jonas Bergmann-Paulsen, Member of electoral committee, EWB Norway
  • Kapil Dev Regmi, President, EWB Nepal
  • Muaamar Mahyoub, Humanitarian Operations Director, EWB Yemen
  • Nick Estrada, Country Director, EWB Guatemala
  • Pedro Alves Filho, Consulting Board, EWB Brazil 
  • Raymond Lopinski, Board Director, EWB Hong Kong

Håkan Kårdén, Member, EWB Sweden

EWB should be playing in the league with leaders such as MSF, RedCross, Amnesty, Greenpeace and the likes. Top down leadership and branding is built by a strong international organisation and this is needed to interact with other large organisations with access to funding and decision makers. Result and value for money is achieved locally and this is also where people grow and deliver value to the community. Projects and local success are key to motivate why EWB is as important as any other leading organisation. Well executed projects must be communicated to a bigger audience than today and we need to tell the world about all the good we do. Engineers are special, we are more important than we like to think, and we can do miracles for the whole world. I want to be part of building an even stronger EWB, international and local, by exploring ways to build on each others strengths in a true collaborative effort.

Jonas Bergmann-Paulsen, Member of electoral committee, EWB Norway

I have a strong motivation and commitment to humanitarian work. I am a mechanical engineer by trade and have through my career, among others, worked with:

  • the humanitarian sector with emergency preparedness, response, and greening humanitarian operations
  • development projects in the academic sector aiming to increase the quality of higher education within sustainable energy in low- and middle-income countries 
  • innovation in the interface between different stakeholders including governmental institutions, academia, private- and the humanitarian sector

With a broad experience crossing between relevant sectors on both an operational- and strategic level I hope I can contribute to an organization in growth. Based on my experience from the board of EWB Norway, my vision for EWB-I is to take a leading role supporting the national organizations to ensure efforts are made in a way that maximizes our collective impact.

Kapil Dev Regmi, President, EWB Nepal

With a rich experience in the field of education and industry, I can bring together a network and pool of like-minded people. My educational background is in Educational Leadership and I founded Kathmandu Don Bosco School and College in 1998 A.D which has provided me with appropriate experience in leadership and managerial roles. Along with that, I’m a member of the faculty board of Kathmandu University and also an advisor of the Higher Institutions and Secondary Schools Association Nepal (HISSAN). Most importantly, my interest in establishing Engineers Without Borders Nepal arose after I joined the Advanced College of Engineering and Management as an Executive Director in 2019. Serving as a board member in EWB International, I would be able to utilize my network and connect and exchange global and local expertise and multiply the synergy that they can create with their innovative ideas and projects.

Muaamar Mahyoub, Humanitarian Operations Director, EWB Yemen

I will work to provide excellent support to the EWB through the stewardship of all resources, growth & elevated influence over strategy, funding, policy, profile, & partnership, by contributing talent, knowledge, & expertise towards the organization’s overall excellence. My objectives to add value to EWB by:

  1. Bringing EWBI to become a global ‘go to’ organization, shaping the agenda on responding to conflict, fragility, & complex crises, expanding EWB new partnerships, capacity, reputation for innovation 
  2. Providing a supportive environment where team members exchange experience & knowledge to be able to do the best work of their lives.
  3. Increasing EWBI’s revenue, representing a growth through a diverse portfolio of funding streams. 
  4. EWBI’s globally integrated & fit-for-purpose systems, policies & processes will result in more streamlined, efficient & timely support to country entities, team members & donors.

Nick Estrada, Country Director, EWB Guatemala

I have worked for more than 20 years in rural areas, where I am originally from. I would like to contribute as a member of EWB International to achieve the objectives that have been proposed but above all contributing with my knowledge in working with the most unprotected communities in the American continent.

I am a PhD in geographic sciences, specializing in natural hazards, with a master’s degree in project formulation and evaluation, and an agronomist. My academic development and my work experience have allowed me to establish alliances with different organizations committed to the development of communities.

Seeing my people working every day to obtain daily food has motivated me to continue working for the most vulnerable families.

Pedro Alves Filho, Consulting Board, EWB Brazil 

This is a great opportunity to support people get involved in engineering as a solution to bring better life standards and help to improve prosperity.

The EWB International is a broad movement on the world to deliver knowledge on better solutions that may help people get the best to their life.

I work near 50 years on Data Technology. My first job on Data Technology was at Autotank AB in Stockholm, Sweden, between September 1978 until January 1980. Since then, I’ve been working in the Computer industry. I’ve also been successfully working with Internet Service Providers starting the year of 1995. My interaction has been a very positive experience. Just now, I am also providing support as Councillor to Engineers Organizations in Brazil: CREA-RJ.

Raymond Lopinski, Board Director, EWB Hong Kong

EWB-I is empowered by the strength of its chapters and needs to facilitate info/program sharing and connectivity to other NGO’s/funding.

Together we can enhance our impact by:

  • Strengthening our ability to provide utilities to underserviced communities.
  • Be an advocate/influencer in developed countries (major contributors to climate change, sustainability, inequality).
  • Impact future generations by expanding the innovative chapter run education initiatives.

I have worked for global corps (various industries) travelling to over 60 countries and responsible for operational services in developing and developed countries. This diversity of experience has taught me to develop strategic visions and deliver operationally in a local context. It is important that together, our programs be driven by a human centric focus and by strong dynamic teams helping each other across numerous cultures, countries and regions.

Voting rules

  • Votes will be collected electronically. 
  • Voting individuals may only cast one vote for their preferred three candidates. 
  • The three candidates with the highest number of votes will be offered the elected board seats. If they decline the offer, the seat will be offered to the candidate with the next highest number of votes. 
  • If no votes are cast by the voting deadline, the voting period will be extended by a further three weeks. If no votes are cast by this extended deadline, no candidates will be considered elected and the election process will begin again. 

The board reserves the right to veto nominated candidates, to review the result of the vote, and amend the election rules if necessary. Any such changes will be transparently communicated to relevant parties and will not be without cause. The decision of the board will be considered final.