Though her work spans seemingly disparate fields, there is a clear throughline that drives M.S. in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (NECR) alumna Noëlle Demole ('19SPS): a desire to protect vulnerable people and create systems that make lives safer and more equitable.
That mission has taken Demole from Switzerland to India to New York and back again, shaping a career defined by impact and global perspective. In recognition of her professional achievements and humanitarian leadership, she has been named the recipient of the 2026 SPS Dean's Excellence Award in the Alumni category.
Demole, who is also a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, currently works in compliance and financial crime prevention at the Swiss private bank EFG, where she investigates potential money laundering, corruption, trafficking, and organized crime. Her role involves tracing the origins of wealth, identifying suspicious financial behavior, and helping prevent illicit funds from entering the banking system.
"I realized there was a way to work within banking while still doing something ethical and impactful," said Demole. "Compliance gave me a way to contribute to the fight against organized crime. What we do is investigate clients from all over the world and try to understand the story behind their wealth."
In addition to her work at EFG, Demole is building an NGO to support teenagers aging out of orphanages in India and a startup organization to address issues affecting women's health and dignity, all while pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge.
Her achievements include being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for her humanitarian work at age 27, delivering a keynote at the 2024 Forbes Money Summit in Zürich, and being recognized by The Victory Magazine as one of the “Most Emerging Women Leaders of the Year 2024.”
Though she works in finance, humanitarian advocacy, academic research, and entrepreneurship, Demole does not see them as separate pursuits. To her, each project addresses different dimensions of the same larger problem: vulnerability, inequity, and access to opportunity.
A Transformative Experience in India
After graduating from high school in Switzerland, Demole chose not to immediately enroll in university. Instead, encouraged by her grandfather, she traveled to India to volunteer with an orphanage, an experience she says completely reshaped her understanding of the world and her future.
"That trip in India completely changed my life," she said. "The whole world made sense to me—what I was going to do, what studies I really wanted to pursue."
The experience also deepened her commitment to humanitarian work. While volunteering, Demole became acutely aware of the challenges faced by adolescents aging out of orphanages, many of whom were left without housing, education, or support systems.
Years later, while studying at Columbia SPS, Demole officially launched Shere Khan Youth Protection, a nonprofit organization she had envisioned since her volunteer experience in India. The organization provides educational funding, housing assistance, and mentorship for young people who might otherwise face homelessness, trafficking, or exploitation.
"There was this huge gap," Demole explained. "At 13 or 14 years old, these kids were just being thrown out into the streets."
Demole credits the negotiation and leadership skills she developed at SPS with helping her navigate everything from managing international teams to building partnerships and finding practical solutions to complex challenges.
Finding the Right Program at Columbia SPS
After earning a bachelor's degree in international relations in Switzerland, Demole applied to graduate programs in the United States and was drawn to the NECR program for its practical and interdisciplinary approach. She believed the program would provide tools not only for professional success, but also for creating meaningful social impact.
"I thought negotiation, mediation, facilitation—knowing how to talk to people, understanding conflict and how to manage it—would really help me later in life," she said. "And it did."
Demole says one of the defining aspects of the program was its emphasis on real-world simulations and collaborative problem-solving rather than purely theoretical coursework. Students were regularly placed into negotiation exercises that required them to think strategically, communicate under pressure, and apply classroom concepts in real time.
"We had to negotiate cases in front of people and apply theory directly to practice," she recalled. "That really changed me."
The experience transformed not only her professional skill set, but also her confidence. By the time she graduated, she felt far more comfortable leading conversations, managing teams, and speaking with senior professionals in high-pressure environments.
"I came back from SPS not shy anymore," she said. "I was comfortable with people who used to intimidate me."
Connecting Finance, Research, and Advocacy
In addition to her role in financial crime prevention and her leadership of Shere Khan, Demole is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology at the University of Cambridge, with a focus on sex trafficking and organized crime. Her research examines trafficking networks through victim testimony and criminal financial systems, combining academic inquiry with insights from her professional experience in compliance.
"I saw cases connected to human trafficking, weapons, and organized crime through banking," she said. "And I realized how connected all these worlds are."
She is also developing Egidays, an early-stage menstrual equity startup aimed at increasing access to free menstrual products in schools and workplaces. Inspired by conversations with young women in India and by persistent stigma surrounding menstruation in Europe, the initiative seeks to address what Demole sees as an overlooked but important equity issue.
Looking Ahead
As she continues balancing her work across finance, research, nonprofit leadership, and entrepreneurship, Demole aims to keep building projects that combine practical impact with systemic change.
Demole is also the executive producer of two documentaries currently in production: The Wallet of the World, a docudrama based on the published biography of Jean-Pierre Cuoni by Scott Media Production and VeyVey Films—the first documentary ever made on Swiss private banking—and The Lost Prince, a documentary about her humanitarian work in India, produced by award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter Keoni TeTawa Bowthorpe of Aloha Cinema. Outside of her professional and academic work, she enjoys cage-free shark diving and is currently working to set a Guinness World Record in mountaineering.
She hopes her own unconventional path encourages others to pursue opportunities that may initially seem out of reach.
“If you had told me years ago that I’d be doing a Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, I would have said you were crazy,” she said. “But anybody can do anything if they’re willing to try.”
About the Program
Columbia University’s Master of Science in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution prepares students to analyze the root causes and dynamics of conflict and to transform disputes through reasoned and resourceful interventions. The program focuses on developing self-awareness, tenacity, and interpersonal competency; building common ground; opening lines of communication; ensuring representation and recognition; and building sustainable possibilities for resolution.
The program has on-campus and online (with residency) modality options. Learn more about the program here.
