Simona Ceci

Simona Ceci has served as Co-President of the Near East Foundation (NEF) since 2022, providing overall leadership for NEF in partnership with her colleague John Ashby. Simona joined NEF in 2013, and prior to rising to Co-President served as Senior Vice President of Global Operations. She has an extensive and diverse background in international operations management, government relations and legal affairs, holding key roles in the public and private sector before joining NEF. This experience combined with her time spent living and working in the field has contributed to supporting NEF’s growth over the past decade, including leading NEF’s expansion into new geographies (i.e., Syria, Iraq, South Sudan) and supporting the design and operationalization of innovative programs in complex settings. And while Simona takes great pride in her work, she considers her highest achievement being the proud mother of her two children.