Elena Bonicelli is Director of Program Operations at Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord.
Elena Bonicelli joined VWB/VSF as Director of Program Operations in January 2026. In her role, she provides operational oversight across the organization’s program portfolio in Canada and globally, working closely with program teams, finance, and partners to strengthen systems, support delivery, and ensure effective planning, risk management, monitoring, and reporting.
She brings over 15 years of program management and operational leadership experience across humanitarian and development settings, having lived and worked in Europe, the Americas, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. She has held senior roles with the Canadian Red Cross, Americares, Mercy Corps, Première Urgence Internationale, and the Italian Aid Agency, leading multi-country teams and complex programs in high-pressure environments. Her experience spans the full project cycle, with particular strength in operational systems, risk management, financial oversight, and monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL).
Elena holds an MA in Latin American Studies, with a focus on sustainable planning and development, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, and an MA in International Economics, Politics and Institutions from the University of Pavia, Italy.
In this edition of #VETSVolunteerVoices, we shift perspective — from volunteer reflections to the voice of a local leader shaping change on the ground. Dr. Victoria Norgbey has dedicated over four decades to strengthening Ghana’s poultry sector and empowering women through WIPVaC-Apex Ghana, a key VETS partner.
As the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists unfolds, VWB explores why mobility is not a barrier to care — but a blueprint for designing resilient, equitable animal health systems in rangeland and remote communities.
Khadia Diallo’s story reveals how women Community Animal Health Workers in rural Senegal are strengthening disease prevention from the ground up — caring for animals, supporting families, and translating One Health principles into everyday practice through the COHERS program.
