TIWB - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Administrator
• Co - Chair
• Co - Chair / Administrator, UNDP
• Global Leader
• Vice - Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group

Achim Steiner became UNDP Administrator on 19 June 2017 and will serve for a term of four years. The United Nations General Assembly confirmed his nomination on 19 April 2017.... Achim Steiner became UNDP Administrator on 19 June 2017. The United Nations General Assembly confirmed his appointment following his nomination by Secretary-General António Guterres. In April 2021, the General Assembly confirmed his appointment to a second four-year term beginning in June 2021. Mr. Steiner is also the Vice-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group, which unites 40 entities of the UN system that work to support sustainable development. Over nearly three decades, Achim Steiner has been a global leader on sustainable development, climate resilience and international cooperation. He has worked tirelessly to champion sustainability, economic growth and equality for the vulnerable, and has been a vocal advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to joining UNDP, he was Director of the Oxford Martin School and Professorial Fellow of Balliol College, University of Oxford. Mr Steiner has served across the United Nations system, looking at global challenges from both a humanitarian and a development perspective. He led the United Nations Environment Programme (2006-2016), helping governments invest in clean technologies and renewable energy. He was also Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi. Achim Steiner previously held other notable positions including Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and Secretary General of the World Commission on Dams. Achim Steiner has lived and worked in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and the United States. He graduated in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (MA) from Worcester College, Oxford University and holds an MA from the University of London/School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Job Titles:

• Project Manager
• Project Manager - TIWB, UNDP

Ahtesham R. Khan is Project Manager in the Finance Sector Hub, UNDP, and manages the TIWB initiative for UNDP. He has extensive experience in fiscal policies, tax administration and domestic resource mobilisation. As Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Finance, Government of India he worked on BEPS negotiations and tax arbitration cases. Ahtesham was Deputy Director of the Indian Tax Administration whereby he investigated illicit financial flows and cross border tax evasion. As Assistant Commissioner, he conducted tax audits and dealt with complex issues related to tax laws. He has also worked on the Local Currency Bond Markets project of the World Bank and the United Nations Handbook on Taxation of the Extractive Industries published by the Financing for Sustainable Development office, UN-DESA. Ahtesham has done Electrical Engineering in under-graduation and has dual Masters - Masters in Taxation and Business Laws from NALSAR University, India and Masters in Public Administration with specialization in Advanced Policy and Economic Analysis from SIPA, Columbia University. He is recipient of the prestigious JJ/World Bank Scholarship.

Job Titles:

• Commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency
• Senior Associate Secretary of the Treasury Board

Bob Hamilton was appointed as the Commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) effective August 1, 2016. Prior to joining the CRA, Bob served as Deputy Minister of Environment Canada... Bob Hamilton was appointed as the Commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) effective August 1, 2016. Prior to joining the Canada Revenue Agency, Bob served as Deputy Minister of Environment Canada, and Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Canada. Bob was appointed Senior Associate Secretary of the Treasury Board in March 2011 and named by the Prime Minister as the lead Canadian on the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council. Bob has held many senior positions in the Department of Finance, including Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Tax Policy, and Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance Sector Policy. He received his Honours BA and Master's degrees in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.

Job Titles:

• Director - General of the Excise Department of Thailand

Dr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas was promoted to Director-General of the Excise Department of Thailand in May 2022. He served as Director-General of the Revenue Department of Thailand from 2018 to 2022, and has played a leading role in promoting the use of digital technologies and data analytics in the Thai tax administration. A recent launch of the world's first Blockchain-powered VAT Refund for Tourist in Thailand was one of his initiatives

Job Titles:

• Acting Chair of the Board of Stamp Out Poverty
• Co - Founder and Director of the Tax Justice Network International Secretariat

John Christensen was trained as both an auditor and a development economist and was co-founder and director of the Tax Justice Network International Secretariat... John Christensen is currently acting Chair of the Board of Stamp Out Poverty (an international NGO), and is a Director of the Balanced Economy Project, which advocates for reforms to competition policy in Europe and the UK. He was trained as both an auditor and a development economist. Mr. Christensen co-founded and was director of the Tax Justice Network International Secretariat, based in London. His current area of expertise is tax havens and their impact on international development. Previously, Mr. Christensen was a company and trust administrator in Jersey and served as economic adviser to the Jersey government. He obtained an honors degree in applied economics and an M.Phil in economics and law from the University of Reading and completed post-graduate studies at Templeton College, Oxford, and the London School of Economics and Political Sciences.

Job Titles:

• Project Manager, TIWB Secretariat, OECD
• Zambian - Born Economist, Joined the OECD As the Tax Inspectors Without Borders ( TIWB ) Project Manager on 1 September 2022

Kalale Mambwe, a Zambian-born economist, joined the OECD as the Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) Project Manager on 1 September 2022. Kalale has extensive experience in tax audit and policy having worked previously as an auditor on complex transfer pricing cases in various sectors and with a particular focus on addressing some of the most pressing Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) challenges facing developing countries. As a manager in the international taxation unit at the Zambia Revenue Authority, Kalale contributed significantly to the introduction of Zambia's transfer pricing regulations and refinement of its transfer pricing rules. Kalale also served as a technical committee member of the Future of Resource Taxation, a Project started as an initiative by the Africa Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) and The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) aimed at taking stock of mining tax systems and consideration of the alternative futures for the extractive industry. Kalale also worked alongside ATAF in providing assistance to other African tax administration's to help build capacity in transfer pricing. Kalale has provided training and mentoring to numerous officials of Ministries of Finance, Revenue Authorities and Central Banks of various countries through the Macroeconomic and Financial Management Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa (MEFMI) on international tax and transfer pricing. Before Joining the TIWB, Kalale represented Zambia as a delegate at the OECD Inclusive Framework on Pillar One and Pillar Two. Kalale has an honours degree in Economics from the University of Namibia and an MBA from the University of Zambia.

Job Titles:

• Co - Chair
• 6th Secretary
• Co - Chair / Secretary - General, OECD

Mathias Cormann is the 6th Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). His five-year term commenced on 1 June 2021. Help maximise the strength of the economic recovery in the wake of COVID-19; Drive and promote global leadership on ambitious and effective action on climate change to achieve global net-zero emissions by 2050; Mathias Cormann is the 6th Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). His five-year term commenced on 1 June 2021. Working with OECD members, his priorities as Secretary-General are to: Help maximise the strength of the economic recovery in the wake of COVID-19; Drive and promote global leadership on ambitious and effective action on climate change to achieve global net-zero emissions by 2050; Finalise a multilateral approach to digital taxation; Seize the opportunities and better manage the risks in the digital economy; Promote market-based policies and a rules-based international order; and to Strengthen the engagement and outreach of the OECD into the Asia-Pacific. Prior to his appointment to the OECD, Mathias served as the Australian Minister for Finance, the Leader of the Government in the Australian Senate and as Federal Senator representing the State of Western Australia. In these roles, he has been a strong advocate for the positive power of open markets, free trade and the importance of a rules-based international trading system. Mathias was born and raised in the German-speaking part of Belgium. He migrated to Australia in 1996, attracted by the great lifestyle and opportunities on offer in Western Australia. Before migrating to Perth, Mathias had graduated in law at the Flemish Catholic University of Louvain (Leuven), following studies at the University of Namur and, as part of the European Erasmus Student Exchange Program, at the University of East Anglia. Between 1997 and 2003, he worked as Chief of Staff as well as Senior Adviser to various State and Federal Ministers in Australia and for the Premier of Western Australia. Between 2003 and 2007, Mathias worked for major Western Australian health insurer HBF in a range of senior management roles. In 2001, realising a childhood dream, Mathias obtained his private pilot's licence. Mathias grew up speaking German and graduated in law following studies in French, Flemish and English. He is married to Hayley, a Perth lawyer, and they have two young daughters, Isabelle and Charlotte.

Job Titles:

• Member of the TIWB Secretariat
• Project Co - Ordinator, TIWB Secretariat

Melanie Mathis has been an integral member of the TIWB Secretariat since July 2016. As Project Co-ordinator, she is responsible for overall co-ordination of the initiative, including the construction and maintenance of the TIWB website and database, operations management, events and technical assistance. She is bilingual in English and French and leads the social media outreach for Tax Inspectors Without Borders. Ms. Mathis holds a Bachelor of Arts from New York University. Her professional experience includes working as a Legal Assistant and Office Manager for an international law firm in Beverly Hills, California, as well as previously Cultural Affairs Co-ordinator for New York University in France.

Job Titles:

• Team Lead - TIWB Secretariat, OECD

Mr. Marcos Roca, assumed the role of Team Leader at the TIWB Secretariat in March 2024, overseeing the coordination, support, and advancement of the TIWB initiative at the OECD in Paris. In this capacity, he collaborates closely with host and partner administrations and with the UNDP to facilitate the implementation of TIWB programmes worldwide. Marcos joined the OECD in 2020 as a Tax and Crime Adviser, where he led the work the OECD Task Force on Tax Crimes and Other Crimes and the OECD Academy for Tax and Financial Crime Investigation. Before this, he held prominent positions in the civil service of Argentina, advising senior officials including Cabinet Ministers and lawmakers on matters of public policy and legal reforms. Additionally, he served as an assistant professor and guest lecturer at various universities, publishing extensively in professional publications and media outlets. An Argentinian and German national, Marcos commenced his career as an investigator in the Public Prosecutions Service. He holds a degree in Law, specialised in tax law, from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, and he earned an MSc. in Criminology and Criminal Justice (with Distinction) from the University of Edinburgh. Besides his native Spanish, he is fluent in English, French, German and Portuguese.

Job Titles:

• President Emeritus of the Latin American
• Samuel Z. Stone Professor of Latin American Economics

Nora Lustig is Samuel Z. Stone Professor of Latin American Economics and the founding Director of the Commitment to Equity Institute (CEQ) at Tulane University. She is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, the Center for Global Development and the Inter-American Dialogue. Professor Lustig's research is on economic development, inequality and social policies with emphasis on Latin America. Her recent publication, Commitment to Equity Handbook: Estimating the Impact of Fiscal Policy on Inequality and Poverty, is a step-by-step guide to assessing the impact of taxation and social spending on inequality and poverty in developing countries. Prof. Lustig is a President Emeritus of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (LACEA) and was a co-director of the World Bank's World Development Report 2000, Attacking Poverty. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Economic Inequality and is a member of the Society for the Study of Economic Inequality's Executive Council. She received her doctorate in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Job Titles:

• Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government

Sir Paul Collier is Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government and a Professorial Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford. He is currently a Professeur invité at Sciences Po and a Director of the International Growth Centre. His research covers the causes and consequences of civil war; the effects of aid and the problems of democracy in low-income and natural resources rich societies; urbanization in low-income countries; private investment in African infrastructure and changing organisational cultures. "Africa urgently needs to build the capacity to tax. This initiative is the right thing at the right time." - Paul Collier