Welthungerhilfe Elects New Board of Directors
Well-positioned for future with greater expertise and new strategy
Berlin/Bonn, 2024-11-29. Yesterday, the general assembly of Welthungerhilfe elected a new board of directors, expanding it by three members. The terms of Marlehn Thieme as the chair and of Prof. Dr. Joachim von Braun as the vice chair of the board were extended for another four years; Dr. Bernd Widera was re-elected as the chair of the finance committee of Welthungerhilfe. In addition, the general assembly adopted a new strategy.
"With the new Zero Hunger on a Healthy Planet strategy, Welthungerhilfe will apply its expertise to help reduce hunger and poverty even more quickly and effectively over the next six years. To achieve this goal, in-depth communication and cooperation with international partners are just as important as a broad range of specialized skills. We appreciate the expertise and momentum our new members are bringing to the table in this regard," says Marlehn Thieme, commenting on the expansion of the board.
The board will now be able to draw on a wider pool of expertise thanks to three new members: Prof. Dr. Kaosar Afsana, who is a public health expert and holds a professorship at the James P. Grant School of Public Health at BRAC University in Bangladesh; Dr. Dorothy Okello, who is the dean of the School of Engineering at Makerere University in Uganda and a pioneer in digital development; and Klaus Straub, who has been a member of the finance committee of Welthungerhilfe since 2021 and has many years of experience as a chief information officer in DAX companies. Continuing to serve on the board of directors are Carl-Albrecht Bartmer, the chair of the supervisory board of DLG; Dr. Annette Niederfranke, the director of the International Labour Organization’s German branch; and Prof. Dr. habil. Conrad Justus Schetter, the director of the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies.
Special thanks for his many years of service were offered to the outgoing board member Amadou Diallo, who is the chief executive officer of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa and who has supported Welthungerhilfe with his diverse experience since 2016.
Learn more about the WHH Board of Directors
Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organizations in Germany; it is politically independent and non-denominational. With courage and determination, it is striving for a world without hunger. Since it was founded on December 14, 1962, 12,128 overseas projects in about 72 countries have been supported with 5.07 billion euros. Welthungerhilfe follows the principle of empowering people to help themselves to sustainably improve their living conditions, offering everything from fast disaster relief to reconstruction and long-term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organizations.
