Chris Coulter appointed Acting Executive Director of the Berghof Foundation

Photo © Berghof Foundation

Chris Coulter appointed as Acting Executive Director. Andrew Gilmour is stepping down after five successful years of service.

The Berghof Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Coulter as Acting Executive Director during an interim period. Andrew Gilmour is stepping down after nearly five years of service as Executive Director.

Chris Coulter joined Berghof in September 2023 as Deputy Executive Director and Head of the Negotiation and Mediation Support Department. A Swedish national with a PhD in Cultural Anthropology, Chris brings over 20 years of significant academic, policy, and practical experience in conflict resolution, supporting key peace talks on Track 1 and Track 2 levels in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and South America.

We are confident that Chris will help position Berghof for the opportunities and challenges ahead.Johannes Zundel, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Prior to joining Berghof, Chris held several high-level roles, including Chief Operations Officer and Director of Programs at the Negotiation Strategies Institute (NSI) in Jerusalem, Head of the Peace Process Support Unit at the Folke Bernadotte Academy, Sweden’s Government Agency for Peace, Security, and Development, and Special Advisor on Peace and Security to Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Chris has brought energy, expertise, and compassion to her work at Berghof, strengthening the organisation’s executive management and mediation capacities. “We are grateful that Chris has agreed to take on the role of Acting Executive Director during this transitional period,” said Johannes Zundel, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “Her deep knowledge and leadership will help guide the organisation through this phase as we continue to focus on our mission. We are confident that Chris will help position Berghof for the opportunities and challenges ahead.”

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Andrew Gilmour.Johannes Zundel, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Andrew Gilmour is stepping down as Executive Director after nearly five years of exceptional leadership. During this time, he oversaw a period of remarkable growth, increasing Berghof’s impact, funding, and global recognition. “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Andrew,” Zundel added. “His dedication, vision, and commitment to Berghof’s mission have left an indelible mark. We are profoundly grateful for his leadership, which has brought Berghof to where it is today.”

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The Berghof Foundation is an independent, non-governmental and non-profit organisation headquartered in Berlin. For more than 50 years, Berghof has worked around the world to bring people in conflict together. The organisation is very active at the moment in Ethiopia, Lebanon, Somalia and Yemen, as well as several other places, in addition to related research and peace education.

For a full biography of Chris Coulter, please click here.

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