Leadership

Mr. Frederik Petersen was appointed EUBAM Libya Head of Mission on 1 January 2026. Before his appointment, he served five months as Deputy Head of Mission.

Prior to joining EUBAM Libya, Mr. Petersen’s professional experience spanned diplomacy and the private sector. Most recently, he served two years as Head of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires a.i. at the Embassy of Denmark in Mali. Other assignments include Deputy Head of Mission roles at the Danish embassies in Brazil and Iraq and Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of Denmark in the United States.

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen, Mr. Petersen has held diverse roles related to foreign policy, trade and export, development cooperation, protocol affairs, and crisis management. His career in diplomacy has been complemented by private sector experience at The LEGO Group with responsibilities related to safeguarding the company’s intellectual property rights across strategic global markets. 

Mr. Petersen holds a Master of Laws degree from University of Copenhagen and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University.

Ismije Beshiri was appointed Chief of Staff in EUBAM Libya on 16 November 2025.

Ms. Beshiri brings extensive senior-level experience in international affairs, having served in senior leadership and advisory roles across multiple field missions and international organizations. Throughout her career, she has held key leadership positions at the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), where she served as Head of the Political and Reporting Office, Head of the Head of Mission Office, and Senior Political Advisor.

Her United Nations experience includes serving as Senior Political Advisor to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General at the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo and as Deputy Head of the Central Field Office at the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan in Kabul. She also worked as Political Advisor to the Head of Mission at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in the Mission in Albania and Kosovo.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Beshiri worked with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Munich and with the Open Media Research Institute in Prague.

Ms. Beshiri holds a Master’s degree and a PhD in History.

Alessio Zuccarini is a senior international executive and strategic leader with more than 30 years of professional experience across complex and high-stakes operating environments. He serves as Head of Operations at the European Union Border Assistance Mission in Libya (EUBAM Libya) since December 2023, where he leads mission-wide operational delivery, strategic operational planning, and results-based implementation in support of EU Common Security and Defence Policy objectives.

With over 25 years of continuous international leadership experience, Mr. Zuccarini has held senior management and advisory roles across the European Union, the OSCE, and the United Nations, including at Head of Department, Deputy Head of Mission, and Senior Strategic Adviser levels. His career spans the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa, with long-term postings in Kosovo, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Palestine, and Libya.

Mr. Zuccarini holds a Law degree, a Master’s degree in Peacekeeping and Security Studies, and multiple senior executive certifications, including EU Senior Mission Leader and the EU Senior Strategic Course on European Security and Defence. He is fluent in Italian and English, with professional proficiency in French and working knowledge of several other languages.