Sophia Mwikali Koerner is an international development professional with extensive expertise in governance, economic development, and private sector engagement across Africa. She has held a range of advisory and leadership positions, both in NGOs and predominantly with the German Development agency GIZ. Her assignments for GIZ include roles at headquarters, as well as postings in Ethiopia, working with the African Union Commission, and in Ghana, supporting public finance reforms.

Prior to her current role, she served as GIZ’s Team Leader Good Governance in Rwanda, overseeing GIZ’s governance portfolio covering human rights, decentralisation, macroeconomic and investment policy, social protection, peacebuilding and social cohesion, and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence. She currently serves as Head of Programme WIDU.africa, leading an innovative initiative that leverages the engagement and investment of the African diaspora in Europe to strengthen entrepreneurship, create employment opportunities, and foster inclusive economic development across Africa (WIDU.africa – Empowering African Entrepreneurs).