Chris Coulter appointed Berghof’s Executive Director

The Berghof Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Coulter as the organisation’s new Executive Director. She served as Acting Executive Director for an interim period since January this year.

"I am honoured to take on this role at such a critical time for the Berghof Foundation and the broader peacebuilding community," said Chris Coulter. "I look forward to working alongside our dedicated team and partners to advance our shared vision of transforming conflicts into sustainable peace."

The Board of Trustees expressed its confidence in Chris Coulter’s leadership, stating: "At a moment in time when innovative approaches to conflict transformation are more essential than ever, her extensive expertise and unwavering commitment to our mission make her the right person to lead Berghof forward. Under her capable leadership, we are confident that Berghof will deepen its impact and contribute decisively to advancing sustainable peace."

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.

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.

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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