Leadership and governance
The Berghof Foundation is a Germany-based not-for-profit organisation. The Executive Director heads the staff, and reports to a Board of Trustees. Find more about our leadership and governance below.
Strategic priorities 2022-25
While continuing to work in our three main fields of activity – Practice, Learning and Research – the Berghof Foundation is also responding to a shifting global context.
Our current focal areas:
- Mediation and negotiation support
- Dialogue approaches and facilitation
- Inclusion and participation
- Peace education
Our emerging thematic areas:
- Climate change and conflict transformation
- Engaging with protest movements to strengthen nonviolent strategies
- Inclusive governance and accountability to mitigate corruption and other economic drivers of conflict
- Digital revolution and its impact on our work
- Dealing with the past in conflict transformation
- The role of women and gender in conflict transformation and mediation
Learn more about our current focal and emerging thematic areas for the coming three years.
Board of Trustees
- Johannes Zundel
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Tübingen, Germany - Nickolay E. Mladenov
Director General of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) - Neha Sanghrajka
Senior Conflict Sensitivity Advisor, UNOPS
Fellow and Senior Advisor at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy - Prof. Dr. Dieter Senghaas
Bremen, Germany - Dr. Christian Sundermann
Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee
State Secretary in non-active service, Berlin, Germany - Dr. Mathias Terheggen
Head Partnerships & Philanthropy, ETH Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland
Advisory Council
- Günther Baechler
Former Head of Swisspeace; former Ambassador of Switzerland - Caspar von Blomberg
Head, Public and Social Sector, Egon Zehnder - Jürgen Hardt
Member of the German Bundestag - Lamya Kaddor
Member of the German Bundestag - Hannah Neumann
Member of the European Parliament - Aydan Özoğuz
Member of the German Bundestag
Executive Team
- Chris Coulter
Executive Director - Beatrix Austin
Head of Department, Conflict Transformation Research
Interim Head of Department, Peace Education - Gustavo Arnaudo
Head of Finance - Natalie Baharav
Head of Communications - Janel Galvanek
Head of Department, Regional Peace Support - Carolin Poeschke
Chief of Staff, Executive Office - Shirin Reuvers
Head of Strategic Partnerships - Oliver Wils
Head of Department, Middle East and North Africa Peace Support
