Emeline Siale Ilolahia is the newly appointed Executive Director of PIANGO and has a strong history of over 10 years of experience and track record in promoting sustainable growth and social development in the pacific region and a reputation for developing strong partnerships within the civil society sector. She has exposure in regional and global advocacy.

In her previous role as Executive Director of the Civil Society Forum of Tonga, Siale was instrumental in bringing together and supporting coalitions working on issues as diverse as ethical leadership, women’s access to finance, women’s leadership and political participation, and deep-sea mining. Siale was awarded an inaugural Jose Edgardo Campos Collaborative Leadership Award in Washington DC in 2016, in recognition of her contributions to local leadership efforts in Tonga. She holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of the South Pacific, Graduate Diploma in Non-For-Profit Management from Unitec, New Zealand, and Graduate Diploma in Public Sector from Massey University, New Zealand.