Alliance of Democracies

A small team with a big purpose

Democracy is facing unprecedented challenges, and at the Alliance of Democracies, we are committed to standing on the frontlines of its defence.

Though our team is small, our ambition is boundless - we work tirelessly to support democratic voices, promote collaboration, and drive impact where it matters most.

Team

Jonas Parello-Plesner

Executive Director

Jonas oversees the overall management and fundraising efforts of our organization, including the annual Copenhagen Democracy Summit. With experience across global power centers—Washington, Beijing, and Brussels—he brings a deep understanding of international affairs.

He is a frequent commentator in both Danish and international media and contributes a regular column to Berlingske.

Maria Fogh Duelund

Chief Operating Officer

Maria oversees the daily operations of the Alliance of Democracies, managing everything from finance to human resources. With 15 years of leadership and general management experience across both the private sector and the military, she brings a unique perspective to her role.

A trained military interpreter in Russian and Serbian, Maria was deployed to Kosovo in 2003–2004 as part of NATO’s peace-support operation. She is a strong advocate for democracy, individual civil liberties, and the rule of law.

James Holtum

Senior Strategy Director

James works across our communications, programs, events, and other initiatives to advance democracy. He previously served as a spokesperson for a political group in the European Parliament and, from 2017 to 2022, was Communications Director at Rasmussen Global, where he worked with democratic governments, including Ukraine.

Olaf Bohnke

Senior Advisor

Olaf coordinates the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI), focusing on political disinformation, hybrid threats, media literacy, and policy issues at the intersection of technology and democracy. With extensive experience in the German Bundestag and in leadership roles within the international think tank community, Olaf brings deep expertise in political and policy analysis.

Richard Walakira

Senior Program Manager

Richard is responsible for fundraising and managing our Democracy Tech Entrepreneur Fellowship. With a proven track record in international non-profit organizations, he has served as a fundraising coach at UNICEF Denmark and worked in operations at the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims.

Amalie Salomon Jankjær

Program Manager

Amalie is assisting with our organizational aspects and fundraising efforts while remaining committed to advancing our work on an Economic Article 5, aimed at enhancing economic resilience among democracies. With a solid background in public affairs, she has experience working in the space of green energy for a global energy developer. Amalie holds a master’s degree in international business and politics, with a specialization in Chinese trade relations.

Elisabeth Kungla

Communications Coordinator

Elisabeth oversees our foundations communications activities, external outreach, media engagements, and social media. With a background in journalism, she has worked in both print and television across Estonian newsrooms, bringing valuable media expertise to her role.

Rosa Borrás Reig

Communications Associate

Rosa is in her final semester of a Master’s in Media and Communication at Roskilde University. She has a background in European Studies and experience in corporate communications. Additionally, she is actively involved in European Youth Denmark, serving as Vice President, where she contributes to shaping youth policy and advocacy.

Léna Mentzinger

Communications Assistant

Léna is in her final year of a Master’s in Culture, Communication and Globalization at Aalborg University. With a background in Political Science and International Relations, she has gained experience in advocacy and French politics.

Specialized in nuclear weapons policy, she is actively involved in civil society, working on issues related to democracy, conflict, and memory, while contributing to peace initiatives and global discourse.

Julian Kilgore

Junior Associate

Julian holds a Bachelor´s in Law & Politics from Southern New Hampshire University where he focused on international relations. He is currently pursuing a Master´s in Security Risk Management at the University of Copenhagen.

Previously he has worked as a Research Assistant for the American Sustainable Business Network, as a university tutor, and as a Teaching Assistant for a Social Science Research Methods class.

Una Svardal Maisey

Junior Associate

Una holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Oslo and is currently in her second year of a Master’s in Security Risk Management at the University of Copenhagen.

She has previously worked as a trainee at the Norwegian Delegation to the UN in New York, focusing on peace and security, and has also served as a coordinator at the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization.

U

Board

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Klaus Søgaard

Fritz Schur

Culture

You can read our code of conduct by clicking here.

A small team with a big purpose

Democracy is facing unprecedented challenges, and at the Alliance of Democracies, we are committed to standing on the frontlines of its defence.

Though our team is small, our ambition is boundless - we work tirelessly to support democratic voices, promote collaboration, and drive impact where it matters most.

Team

Jonas Parello-Plesner

Executive Director

Maria Fogh Duelund

Chief Operating Officer

James Holtum

Senior Strategy Director

Olaf Bohnke

Senior Advisor

Richard Walakira

Senior Program Manager

Amalie Salomon Jankjær

Program Manager

Elisabeth Kungla

Communications Coordinator

Rosa Borrás Reig

Communications Associate

Léna Mentzinger

Communications Assistant

Julian Kilgore

Junior Associate

Una Svardal Maisey

Junior Associate

U

Board

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Klaus Søgaard

Fritz Schur

Culture

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