Silja Paasilinna

Silja Paasilinna is a seasoned professional in electoral systems and governance, currently serving as the Country Director for Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and as an Advisor at The International Foundation for Electoral Systems since August 2018. With extensive experience leading USAID-funded programs, Silja has held various key positions, including Chief of Party for Mozambique at Counterpart International and Technical Advisor at The International Foundation for Electoral Systems, where responsibilities included providing technical support for elections and promoting women's political participation. Silja's prior roles encompass managing election support programs across multiple countries, developing gender strategies, and consulting on democracy and governance projects. Silja holds a Master's degree in Political Science and Economics from Lund University and has received additional education from the National University of Singapore.