Esmeralda Hasaj

Esmeralda Hasaj, MSA, CIPS is an operations and governance expert with over 25 years of experience in humanitarian and development work in Albania and internationally. She leads the procurement function at the Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF), where she built the function from the ground up and manages procurement for multi-million-dollar projects in technology, education, leadership, cultural heritage, and infrastructure. Her career includes leadership roles in crisis response and post-crisis recovery, where strong systems, innovation, and adaptability were critical to delivering relief and rebuilding communities responsibly. She is known for looking beyond routine solutions and continuously improving how systems work. Her focus has always been to ensure resources are used transparently, ethically, and where they make a real difference. Certified in Strategic Public Procurement (UNDP/CIPS), she promotes a practical view of innovation — one that combines new ideas with accountability, integrity, and decisions that create lasting value for society. She has also lectured in management, business communication, and ethics at various universities, sharing real-world experience with students and young professionals and encouraging them to think critically about impact and responsibility.