I am a portfolio manager for the African Union team at GIZ, Germany’s leading international cooperation agency. Based in Addis Ababa, I ensure the strategic and operational alignment of 30+ projects supporting the African Union and its 55 member states in implementing Agenda 2063, Africa’s continental development strategy.
I specialise in strategy execution in complex institutional settings – turning political and policy agendas into action. My work spans portfolio strategy, organisational change, stakeholder alignment, and donor coordination across 23 African countries and multiple governance systems. I lead and develop multicultural teams and advise senior leadership on organisational risks, delivery bottlenecks, and change processes.
Previously, I worked in Brussels at GIZ’s liaison office for the European Union, where I supported EU-level coordination on development cooperation and co-led the Practitioners’ Network‘s Team Europe Task Force. Earlier, I served as a technical advisor to the Southern African Development Community (SADC), working with regional institutions, governments, and civil society to strengthen regional integration structures.
I am currently completing a Master’s degree in Global Security and Strategy at SOAS University of London and hold a first-class MA (Hons) in International Relations and History from the University of Dundee.
I bring together analytical rigour, institutional fluency, and calm leadership, providing clarity, structure, and delivery under pressure across multinational teams and complex organisational environments in Africa and Europe.
All views are mine. They do not necessarily reflect those of GIZ or any other organisation.
Felix Youngman 