Our Team
Derek Martin | Chief Executive Officer
Derek Martin has been the CEO of the International Federation for Housing and Planning since the end of 2007. He has a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Amsterdam, where he specialised in the cross-border and European dimension of spatial planning. As policy officer at the former National Physical Planning Agency in The Hague (NL), he worked in the ‘80’s on the very first international planning document, the Benelux Structure Plan, and on European planning collaboration within the framework of the Council of Europe. In 1987-88 he worked at DG Environment at the European Commission where he helped set up the CORINE Land Cover programme, now a practical tool being used by the European Environmental Agency. After working on the cross border and European dimension of the Dutch 4th National Planning Report, he spent another 3 years (1990-93) at the European Commission working on the development of the spatial dimension of EU regional economic policy. Both from Brussels and back in The Hague with the Dutch government, he worked on the further elaboration of European spatial planning policy, which produced new European instruments (ESPON, INTERREG) and policy documents (ESDP). For almost 10 years, he was Head of International Spatial Policy, and then of Sustainable Spatial Development at the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment.
Kate Terzano | Content Manager
As of July 2011, Kate Terzano is the Content Manager for IFHP. She works to develop and manage IFHP’s content programme, specifically focusing on overseeing content flows from diverse sources, helping organize and distribute the results, and ensuring that all aspects of IFHP work pertaining to content remain consistent and in keeping with IFHP’s overall mission. Kate has previously worked as the managing editor of the Journal of Planning Literature and as an associate at the Urban Land Institute (Washington, DC, USA) in the information and publishing department. She holds a practitioner’s Master of City and Regional Planning and a PhD in City and Regional Planning, both from The Ohio State University.
Manuela Studer | Events Coordinator
So many different cities, each disctinct and special. In which ways do they function, how come they develop so differently? Searching for answers and trying to understand the complexity of human settlements and their environments, Manuela studied geography at the University of Bern, Switzerland. Living, studying and working in Bern and Cardiff (UK) provided her with a diverse background to these questions. After graduating from University (MSc in Geography; minor in English linguistics), she worked in spatial planning in Switzerland, making an effort to keep cities and their environments attractive. In the last four years, she contributed to a more sustainable spatial development by coordinating housing and transport projects on a regional level in and around Solothurn (Switzerland). The coordination between local, regional and national authorities, as well as planning professionals, was a major part of this job. Prior, she had worked in various functions, ranging from assistant to the CFO for Lindt&Sprüngli International to accounting and teaching English. Apart from work, Manuela loves to travel and enjoys outdoor sports, including skiing and mountain trekking.
Iris Fielemon | Office Manager
Since December 2010, Iris has been the office manager at the IFHP Secretariat, where she takes care of the day to day matters, as well as membership administration. Iris is a native of Leiden in the Netherlands, where she has more than 10 years of experience in office management and running her own business in interior decoration.
Pim de Leeuw | Intern
Pim de Leeuw is a Master's student in Urban Planning at Utrecht University. During his internship at the IFHP, he is working on starting up the Climate Resilient Cities and Housing working groups. He is also currently writing his thesis on energy landscapes and plans to graduate at the end of 2011.
