Meet our global employees
Our team is dedicated to advancing democratic security and stability worldwide, leveraging diverse expertise and collaborative spirit to support lasting peace and safety across communities.
Nicole Mechehrawi
Chief Executive Officer
Vita Nicole Mechehrawi
Nicole Mechehrawi is the CEO of the GS-Foundation and has many years of experience in business start-ups and development. Following her commercial training, she and her husband built up numerous companies and successfully launched them on the market. Her entrepreneurial mindset, strategic expertise and practical experience continue to shape her work to this day. She possesses extensive entrepreneurial experience and in-depth expertise in building and successfully establishing companies. Throughout her career, she has played a key role in setting up numerous firms and has successfully managed them, particularly during their early years. When the GS-Foundation was established in 2019, she initially took charge of the finance department; since 2023, she has served as CEO and is responsible for the organisation’s strategic direction and successful management.
Michael Schemke
Chief Executive Officer
Commissioner (ret.)
Vita Michael Schemke
Michael Schemke is CEO of the GS-Foundation. He is a senior police professional with nearly 50 years of service in North Rhine-Westphalia. Before his retirement, he held leading positions including Deputy Police President in Krefeld and Commissioner of the State Police – the highest-ranking uniformed position in North Rhine-Westphalia. His career includes more than eleven years in special forces and extensive strategic work on complex issues such as clan crime. At the GS-Foundation, he focuses on strengthening international reform partnerships and expanding the organisation’s network in Germany.
Annika Biallaß
CEO Assistant & Project Manager
Vita Annika Biallaß
Annika Biallaß is an experienced project manager for Moldova and Cambodia, as well as for any other upcoming projects, in addition to her role as personal advisor to the GS-Foundation Board. She leads project development and implementation with commitment and punctuality. Previously, Annika worked for an international development organization, organizing and implementing various events and projects. She is also pursuing a PhD in European Energy Policy and teaches at university.
Klaus Peter Kilian
Senior Strategic Advisor
Vita Klaus Peter Kilian
Klaus Peter Kilian is a highly skilled professional with a remarkable career in law enforcement, including service with the elite GSG 9 unit. For the Federal Police and the Foreign Office, he held responsibilities in China, Afghanistan, and the MENA region for a total of nine years. As the founding CEO of the GS-Foundation, he played a key role in establishing its mission and vision. These days, he focuses more on trainings, both in terms of organisation and conductment. He also oversees the recruitment of senior experts.
Stefan Schwarz
Chief Operating Officer
Vita Stefan Schwarz
Stefan Schwarz is an extraordinary security sector expert with more than 40 years of service in the German police. He held senior leadership roles at home and abroad, including missions in Kosovo, South Sudan, and at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Over the years, he has contributed to shaping international standards, notably through his work on the Strategic Guidance Framework for international policing. With expertise in project management, reform, and capacity building across more than 20 countries, he combines operational leadership with a truly global vision for the future of security sector reform.
Markus Bolder
Chief Financial Officer
Bernd Gosebruch
Chief Procurement Officer
Vita Bernd Gosebruch
Bernd Gosebruch is an accomplished professional with a background in engineering and public service. After his career as an officer in the German Armed Forces, he served as a senior procurement official for the Federal Ministry of the Interior. He managed key acquisitions for international police missions and specialized equipment. Since September 2023, he has been Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) for the GS-Foundation, leading procurement activities.
Angelika Grubert
Legal Advisor
Vita Angelika Grubert
Angelika Grubert is a lawyer and qualified criminologist. She has worked as both a lawyer and a judge in various a reas of law during her career, and also gained many years of experience as a manager in the Hamburg administration in a wide variety of activities and authorities. In addition, she has been active in honorary and as a member of supervisory boards and boards of directors of public companies. Since October 2023, she has been supporting the GS Foundation as a Legal Advisor.
Our team
Ronja Berner
Project Manager
Mirgeta Hajdari
Project Manager
Thilo Vogt
Project Manager
Katharina Carpentier
Project Assistant
Ronja Berner is a dedicated project manager with extensive experience in international project coordination and a research background in humanitarian assistance. She managed youth exchange programs at AFS Intercultural Programs and gained valuable experience in Germany and abroad, including an internship at GIZ. Fluent in several languages and skilled in intercultural communication, she now applies her expertise at GS-F, advancing projects in Nigeria, Chile and Colombia while fostering strategic partnerships.
Mirgeta Hajdari is a project manager in our team and helps oversee our project in Nigeria. She previously gained valuable experience at GIZ in Kosovo, in the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia and in the management of international integration and education projects. These varied positions have given her a deep understanding of international cooperation, project management and intercultural contexts. At GS-F, Mirgeta contributes her professional expertise, organisational skills and communication talents to the sustainable development of projects.
Thilo Vogt is a dedicated project manager with diverse experience in law enforcement and academia. He began his career as a strategic and operational criminal analyst with the North Rhine-Westphalia Police. At the DHPol, he was responsible for academic training in the field of international police relations and managed high-profile projects, including the police section of the evaluation of German engagement in Afghanistan. His international projects include police capacity building in Ukraine and cooperation with UNITAR for the Malaysian Coast Guard.
Katharina Carpentier is involved in all projects as a project assistant. She brings a wealth of experience from IT and as a project manager in the cultural sector. Most recently, she has led cross-team projects and supervised prestigious publications. At work, she is passionate about optimising processes and digitalisation. Her academic roots lie in history and art history.
Peter Schmidts
Strategic Sourcing Manager
Rolf van de Bruck
Procurement Advisor
Peter Schmidts is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in banking and corporate management. He has held leadership roles in credit departments and corporate business, focusing on strategic planning, customer relations, and credit management. As Strategic Sourcing Manager at the GS-Foundation, he oversees procurement and contributes to security sector reform projects, emphasizing gender-sensitive strategies and stakeholder dialogue.
Rolf van de Bruck worked in various roles within the North Rhine-Westphalia police force from 1978 until 1 January 2025. During his 46 years of service, he spent around 20 years working in various roles within the North Rhine-Westphalia special forces. After his time with the special forces, he worked at the State Office for Central Police Services (LZPD) until his retirement. He is currently a member of the procurement team at GS-F.
Project staff
Dr. Susanne Greiter
Head of Project Equalforce Moldova & Ukraine
Senior Expert Migration & Gender
Uwe Heller
Head of Project Nigeria
Deputy Commissioner (ret.)
Dr. Volker Jacoby
Head of Project Moldova
Sebastian Kwika
Head of Project Ukraine
Dr. Susanne Greiter is a historian and Slavic studies expert specializing in gender equality, anti-discrimination, and security. She has 25 years of experience in international election observation for the UN, EU, and OSCE. As a guest lecturer, she teaches peacebuilding at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College. At GS-F, she leads projects in Eastern Europe, strengthening gender equality in security institutions and addressing violence prevention and capacity-building.
Uwe Heller has a 45½-year career in law enforcement, including international roles with the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Afghanistan, where he served as Chief of Staff. He later led the Operations and Situation Center for Berlin Police and contributed to the “Cooperative Control Center” project with the Berlin Fire Department. Currently, he is Head of our project in Nigeria and oversees the Special Intervention Squad project . Moreover, he lectures on Leadership Studies at the Berlin School of Economics and Law.
Volker Jacoby is one of two project managers for Moldova. He is responsible for implementing GS-F projects on site that are not part of the EQUALFORCE project.
He has many years of international management and project experience. Most recently, he was the founding director of the European Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management (CoE) in Berlin and worked closely with the interior and foreign ministries of EU member states to strengthen their civilian crisis management capabilities. Previously, he was head of training at the Centre for International Peace Operations (ZIF) and shared his diverse experience from international peace operations. His work is characterised by an integrated approach, i.e. close cooperation between civilian, police and military actors.
Udo Möller
Senior Advisor Chile/Colombia (trilateral project)
Peter Heepen
Project Coordinator Nigeria
Senior Police Advisor
Yelizaveta Kuzmich
Project Coordinator Ukraine
Georg Partenheimer
Project Coordinator Nigeria
Udo Möller is a retired senior police officer with 52 years of experience. His career spans roles from patrol duty in Wuppertal to leadership positions in North Rhine-Westphalia, including heading special units and a district police authority. Internationally, he served in UN and EU missions, including Kosovo, Sudan and Ukraine where he led strategic reforms. He coordinates the trilateral police project in Chile/Colombia for the GS-F, applying his expertise to international partnerships.
Peter Heepen is a experienced Senior Police Advisor and Project Coordinator at GS-F. Before retiring in 2020, he served as an advisor to the President of the Karlsruhe Police Department and as a trainer for police foreign missions. He retired after 21 months in Israel and Palestine with the EU Border Assistance Mission in Rafah. Known for his optimism and persistence, Peter now focuses on gender-based violence training and managing ongoing projects, primarily in Nigeria.
Yelyzaveta Kuzmich is our Project Coordinator in Ukraine. With a background in brand management and international team coordination, she brings clarity and structure to daily operations. Her work strengthens our local presence through effective coordination and communication.
Georg E. Partenheimer is a distinguished law enforcement expert with 43 years of experience in leadership roles. He developed and currently implements the Community Engagement Pilot Project in Abuja/Garki with the Nigeria Police Force. Since 2024, he has served as a Senior Expert with the Federal Criminal Police in Berlin. Previously, he led the Criminal Investigation Department in Bonn and advised EUAM Ukraine in Mariupol. He’s known for his precision and humility.
Ana Palii
Project Coordinator Moldova
Natalia Vitiuc
Project Coordinator Moldova
Yuriy Megera
Project Coordinator Ukraine
Christiane Burrell
Project Coordinator Nigeria
Project Coordinator Equalforce Ukraine
Ana Palii is a dedicated project manager with experience in both the private and public sectors, including international NGOs and local CSOs. She excels in overseeing complex projects, streamlining processes, and managing stakeholders. As Project Coordinator and local representative of the GS-F in Moldova, Ana works with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its subdivisions to ensure successful implementation and strong partner support.
Natalia Vitiuc is a local, Moldovan project coordinator with 17 years of work experience in international settings. She excels in advisory support, impact assessments, and process enhancement. Natalia coordinates project activities and works with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Moldova.
Christiane G. Burrell is an expert in legal and security sector reform with many years of international experience in the fields of police reform, the rule of law, and gender and human rights consultancy. A lawyer trained in the USA, she has held senior advisory roles for EU missions in countries including Armenia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Djibouti. As a project coordinator, she brings her extensive expertise to bear on the work of the GS-F in Nigeria, as well as on the Equalforce project in Moldova.
Edidiong Obot
Project Coordinator Nigeria
ThankGod Umaje
Project Coordinator Nigeria
Edidiong Obot is a dedicated professional with two Master’s degrees and over 15 years of experience in the banking sector as a relationship manager before joining GS-F. He possesses a remarkable talent for languages, being proficient in English, Pidgin English, and a few local Nigerian languages. As an Admin and Operations Advisor, he ensures the seamless execution of the GS-F’s projects in Nigeria. He’s also known as “Mr. Fix It” for his ability to handle complex challenges.
ThankGod Umaje is an experienced security professional with a distinguished career in law enforcement. He served 35 years in various commands of the Nigeria Police Force, including Force Headquarters in Abuja. After retiring, he joined GS-Foundation, where he coordinates training projects and meetings with NPF leadership. He currently works as a Consultant/Administrative Assistant, supporting the timely achievement of police reform objectives in Nigeria.
