Our Team

As CEO Linda works closely with the Executive Director and Senior Management team on strategic development of Accent’s academic offering. She holds a PhD in cognitive psychology from the University of Paris – René Descartes and completed postdoctoral training in psychology and education at Yale University. She has held academic positions in the United States and France and continues to publish in the area of talent identification and talent development through innovative pedagogy. Linda is based in France.

As Executive Director, Stephen oversees strategy and development of the Accent Study Centers. He works with university leadership and administrators, alongside the Accent teams, to develop and enrich high-quality international opportunities. He holds degrees in fine arts, environmental design and an MA in architecture. His varied international experience allows him to identify and utilize unique cultural and academic resources that are so important to global learning. Stephen is based in Italy.

Allison is responsible for the management of the U.S. office and institutional partnerships with over 70 colleges and universities. Her first international experience was a gap year in the U.K. before attending Stanford University. As an undergraduate studying international relations, Allison spent two quarters in Tours and after graduation completed an internship in the Slovak Republic. Allison is the founding director of the U.S. office in San Francisco. She is based in California.

Erin manages policies and projects related to program operations across Europe. With an undergraduate degree in foreign languages and literature, Erin began her career in education serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Georgia. She later completed a master’s degree in international training and education from American University. Working with both nonprofits and universities, Erin has extensive experience developing  international study programs in both the U.S. and Europe. Erin is based in Italy.

Jim leads new program development and provides oversight for Accent partnerships with U.S. colleges and universities. Prior to this role, he managed programs on-site with Accent in Madrid and Rome. Jim holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from La Sapienza University of Rome, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University. He is a certified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). Jim is based in Italy.

Alexa oversees partnerships with U.S. institutions and assists in the development of customized programs from initial idea to final contract. Originally from New York, Alexa earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Rochester, studying abroad twice in Rome. After graduating, she taught English in Turin before earning an MA in international education from New York University. At NYU, Alexa studied abroad in Germany, Ghana, and China. Alexa is based in California.

In her role, Lizzie works across all Accent study centers developing new programs with U.S.  partners. Formerly the Director of the Accent London Study Center, she has managed education abroad programs for over 20 years. After studying for a BA (Hons) in the history of art at the University of East Anglia she completed an MSc in the history of modern architecture at University College London. Lizzie is based between England and Italy.

Francesco works closely with Accent’s partners and the Study Centers to design promotional strategies to better reach prospective students. Francesco worked for ten years coordinating programs in the Rome Study Center. He holds a BA in cultural and linguistic mediation from La Sapienza University of Rome and completed the Global Executive Master’s program in marketing and sales with Bocconi and ESADE universities. Francesco is based in Italy.

Simone collaborates with Accent partners, Study Centers, and local faculty to develop new programming that is topical, experiential, and reflects the depth and breadth of Accent’s local networks. Prior to joining Accent, he was Assistant Director at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Originally from Italy, Simone moved to the U.S. for graduate school and holds a PhD in classics from the University of Cincinnati. Simone is based in Italy.

Sarah collaborates closely with colleagues at Paris College of Art to develop experiential, customized programs for students of art and design. She also assists the team in coordinating all aspects of other Accent Paris programs. Prior to joining Accent, Sarah held teaching and administrative positions at UC Berkeley, l’Université Paris Diderot, and EDC Paris Business School. A Philadelphia native, Sarah holds a PhD in French Cultural Studies from UC Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the George Washington University. Sarah is based in France.

Lilia leads program development and on-site support for art and design programs in Florence. As of 2023, she coordinates the SACI Artist in Residence program in Florence and related exhibitions and events. Lilia is Mexican-American and grew up in California, first visiting Florence as an undergraduate at CSU Long Beach. After completing her degree in art, Lilia completed an MFA in exhibition design and museum studies at CSU Fullerton. She has a passion for cultural and artistic promotion and has worked in the nonprofit sector in addition to being a curator of contemporary art. Lilia is based in Italy.

Zoey collaborates with the Accent program development teams in both the U.S. and Europe by managing partnership contracts and assisting in the development of customized programs. Originally from Ohio, Zoey studied psychology and photography at Wittenberg University, where she studied abroad in Cortona, Italy. She returned to Italy in 2018, working in various coordinator positions for education abroad programs in Cortona, Florence and Siena. Zoey is based in Italy.

Managing the U.S. Office team, Megan oversees student enrollment, pre-departure preparation and program accounting, as well as company branding and IT. As an undergraduate at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Megan spent a semester in Paris studying French and art history. She later joined the Peace Corps, teaching English in Eritrea. Upon returning home to San Francisco, Megan completed a master’s degree in industrial and graphic design.

Melissa is responsible for the management and administration of programs in Paris. Originally from New York, Melissa first visited Paris as an undergraduate at State University of New York. After completing her degree, she began working with Ray Vernon in Paris and has been with Accent from the very beginning. She is an active member of the Association for American University Programs in France (APUAF), she served on the organization’s board of directors for seven years.

Adrien supports the Paris Center Director with the daily management of the Study Center and the front office team, as well as the many and varied Paris programs. Adrien manages classrooms, liaises with local French universities for direct enroll and hybrid programs, and coordinates MBA seminars and other specialized programs. He graduated in English and German from the Sorbonne.

Michelangelo is responsible for the management of the Florence Study Center. Born in southern Italy, he completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Bologna’s Rimini campus, during which he completed a year studying in Sweden at the University of Uppsala. Further international experience includes an exchange at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, work in administration at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and internships in Florida and Dublin. 

Francesca is the Associate Florence Center Director, she manages Center responsibilities and facilitates successful Accent programs in Florence. Francesca is the main contact for U.S. partner institutions while planning for faculty–directed programs in Florence and oversees daily operations at Accent Florence. Born in southern Tuscany, she moved to Florence for her university studies, completing a BA in political science and MA in international relations and European studies. As a student, Francesca studied for one year in Brussels and later completed an internship in Plymouth (U.K.).

Matt is responsible for the management of the London Study Center. Prior to joining Accent, Matt worked in administration of postgraduate programs at Royal College of Art, and held similar roles at Birkbeck, University of London and within the government Department for Culture, Media & Sport. Originally from south London, he has an undergraduate degree in business information technology from Coventry University and a master’s degree in London studies from Birkbeck.

Vanessa is responsible for the management of the Madrid Study Center as well as managing European procedures. Originally from Valencia, she completed a BA in English at Universitat de Valéncia, spending a year at the University of Sheffield (U.K.). Later, she moved to the U.S. and completed an MA in English at Northwestern State University of Louisiana and PhD in Spanish at Texas Tech University with research focused on postfeminism in Latinx literature. Back in Spain, she completed an MBA at EAE Business School.

Marco is responsible for the management of the Rome Study Center, including students health and wellbeing as well as academic and cultural programming. Marco is an international education professional with over 15 years of experience managing international and foreign language programs and working with students from all over the world. He oversees the Italian language programs in the Rome Center and provides academic advising and coordination for various Rome programs.  He has a degree in Asian languages from La Sapienza University in Rome, speaks five languages, and has lived and worked in the U.K., North Korea, and South Korea.