With over 17 years of experience in humanitarian operations, development cooperation, and human rights advocacy, Francesca has worked from policy to practice, strengthening systems of accountability and people-centered design across global contexts.

Her work spans leadership roles with organisations such as OCHA, ACT Alliance, the Lutheran World Federation, Finn Church Aid, and Amnesty International, where she has supported teams across Latin America, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Francesca brings expertise in strategic planning, research and evaluation, as well as ethical AI integration, combining feminist and decolonial perspectives to promote transformation rooted in care and justice.

She currently serves as Co-President of the Society of Gender Professionals (2025–2028) and through Metis Insights, Francesca continues to champion collaboration, evidence-based learning, and inclusive leadership to ensure that people remain at the center of every process of change.

Founder & CEO

Francesca Traglia

Senior Associate Consultant

Ilse is an experienced programme and policy specialist, with over 15 years of experience in gender equality, peacebuilding and humanitarian action. She brings unique experience and skills in feminist peace and security practice, locally-led policy influencing which links levels from the local to the global and co-creating programming which transforms conflict drivers and gender norms through an intersectional lens.

With a career spanning roles at PAX, DCA, GOAL and WILPF, Ilse's expertise ranges from gender-sensitive conflict analysis, to co-created lobby and advocacy strategy, participatory design and management of gender-transformative programming and facilitating capacity strengthening and bridging. She has lived and worked in countries like Kenya, Sudan and South Sudan and worked closely with partners in countries like Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. She has ample policy influencing experience in Brussels, Geneva, New York and The Hague.

Ilse currently co-chairs the Community of Practice on Engaging Men towards Feminist Peace and is deeply committed to taking a feminist approach in her work steeped in social justice, intersectionality, inclusion and care. You can wake her up at night to work on furthering Feminist Foreign Policy or truly shifting power dynamics in your proposal development, programme review or policy strategy development.

Ilse Wermink

Senior Associate Consultant

Polly Newall

Polly is an experienced researcher, facilitator, and programme strategist with over 15 years of international experience working across Europe, Africa, and Asia. As the Founder and Director of Roots to Change, and now Senior Associate Consultant at Metis Insights, Polly brings a unique combination of technical expertise, empathy, and systemic thinking to her work on gender justice, human rights, and community resilience.

A qualified primary school teacher with a deep commitment to social justice and inclusion, Polly’s expertise spans participatory research and evaluation, community engagement, capacity building, and the design and management of complex multi-country programmes. She has worked with NGOs, government partners, and global networks, managing portfolios exceeding £2 million and leading initiatives in contexts such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and India.

Aaron leads our social technology portfolio, co-designing AI tools and building partnerships to make knowledge more accessible and helping communities strengthen democracy.

He brings two decades of experience with the World Bank, Pact, and his own company Context Matters, advancing governance reform, peer exchange, and civic participation through technology and network-driven approaches. His work focuses on innovations that expand accountability, resilience, and equity while ensuring communities remain at the center of change

Senior Associate Consultant

Aaron Leonard

Rebecca Venuto

Associate Consultant

Rebecca is a policy and gender equality specialist with a strong background in EU development, human rights, and inclusive governance. She brings to Metis Insights a unique combination of policy expertise and field experience, having worked across Europe and Africa to connect global frameworks with community-led action.

With a career spanning roles at ActionAid International Kenya and ACT Alliance EU, Rebecca has led initiatives promoting gender-responsive climate adaptation, LGBTQI+ rights, and civic participation. Her work bridges advocacy, participatory research, and capacity strengthening, supporting organisations to turn policy into practice through inclusive, measurable, and sustainable approaches.

Rebecca holds an LLM in International Law and Global Governance from the University of Tilburg and a Master’s certification in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion from the Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini. Fluent in Italian, English, and French, she brings to Metis Insights a deep commitment to intersectional analysis, ethical policy influence, and people-centred development.

Contact Us

We’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re exploring collaboration, seeking advisory support, or simply curious about how we integrate ethics, care, and justice into data and design — let’s start a conversation.

Reach out to connect with the Metis Insights team about partnerships, consultancy services, or speaking engagements. Together, we can turn insight into impact.