Corinna Woellner joined ICARDA’s Partnerships and Grants Unit in Cairo, Egypt, in 2020—initially as a freelance proposal writer and, in 2023, as a project development manager. With over ten years of experience in designing and implementing projects in agricultural research, rural development, and private-sector engagement, her technical expertise encompasses project management, conflict-sensitive programming, gender mainstreaming, and agricultural finance.
Previously, Corinna Woellner advised the German Federal Ministry, as well as the UN and EU, on evidence-based drug policy and rural transformation. From 2014 to 2019, she conducted project assessments across Asia and Africa before undertaking freelance assignments with GIZ GmbH, the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, and other clients, providing strategic advisory services in sustainable development across the MENA region and Asia-Pacific.
Her achievements include leading multidisciplinary teams in project design, organizing international conferences, and developing project proposals for diverse donors. She holds an MA in Public Policy and Management from the University of Potsdam and a BA in International Cultural and Business Studies from the University of Passau, with exchange semesters in Cambodia and Spain. Corinna has also completed executive courses in Business and Climate Change at the University of Cambridge and in Agricultural Finance at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.