On 15 October, Nadia Defrancesco was named the new Director of Administration for the CTAO Central Organisation, which is responsible for overseeing the design and implementation of the Observatory and managing its construction and operation. In this position, she will be responsible for a broad range of administrative activities such as Human Resources, IT, Finance and Procurement. She will also have a key role in establishing the Central Organisation’s administrative and organisational framework when it transitions to its final legal entity.
Nadia joined the CTAO in 2019 as the Head of Finance, where she demonstrated her aptitude for the management of the finance team and the Observatory’s complex budgeting needs in a challenging international environment. When the Director of Administration position opened in early 2024, she served as the interim Director where she proved her aptitude, leadership and skill in that role. The Observatory Director, therefore, enthusiastically welcomed her into senior management on a permanent basis much to the delight of her colleagues.
Nadia comes from the private sector, having worked first as a CPA and then for many years in a German Financial Institution based in Bologna, where she was responsible for the finance, compliance and legal efforts of the company. Her years of experience and extensive knowledge of the CTAO make Nadia an essential and valued leader of the Central Organisation as it moves into the next exciting phase of its development in the coming years!