Jan Prothmann is the Director of the Governance Department.He has worked in various positions and technical areas both at GFA headquarters and in long-term assignments abroad for GIZ and KfW-financed projects. Having started out as a consultant in agriculture and rural development, today his main thematic focus and expertise is now in the field of governance, notably anti-corruption, decentralization, civil society participation and urban development. Jan is an alumnus of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), holds an MSc in International Development and a BA in Business & Economics. He is also currently completing his MA in Philosophy, with a focus on political and moral philosophy.

Katja Trappe-Willms is a Portfolio Manager responsible for governance projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. She is a trained lawyer and mediator with 15 years of professional experience in development cooperation, specializing in governance topics such as decentralization, justice sector reform, and civil society support. After spending four years in the Philippines as coordinator for a GIZ PPP-project on social standards for suppliers of German retailers, she joined GFA in 2009.

Franziska Helbig is a Portfolio Manager in the Governance Department, responsible for our projects in the Middle East and North Africa. Fluent in Arabic, French and English, with a diploma in interpretation and a master's degree in human rights and governance, she joined GFA in 2015. She has worked both at headquarters and on in-country projects in the MENA and Europe regions, particularly designing and implementing projects on gender, decentralization and civil society participation.

Dr. Victoria Jennett is a Portfolio Manager in the Governance Department. She is responsible for governance projects in Ukraine and Europe. A lawyer by training, with a PhD in constitutional law and conflict transformation, she has more than 15 years’ experience working with multilateral and bilateral governmental organizations and NGOs (including Transparency International, OSCE, GIZ, USAID, Council of Europe and UNDP). She is an expert on justice sector reform and corruption risk assessments and an experienced trainer, tutor and facilitator. She joined GFA in 2022.

Christian Bürger joined GFA in 2015. As a Portfolio Manager, he is responsible for governance projects in West- and Central Africa. He studied business administration and political science and has more than 15 years professional experience in international cooperation in the public and private sector. His expertise ranges from decentralization to civil society support and public administration reform.

Thea Güttler is a Portfolio Manager responsible for governance projects in Asia and Latin America. With a Master's degree in Peace Studies and International Politics from the University of Tübingen and a postgraduate diploma from the German Institute for Development and Sustainability (IDOS), she joined the team in 2017. Fluent in English, Spanish and French, Thea oversees projects in Asia and Latin America, ensuring effective coordination and implementation. With 10 years of experience in international development cooperation, her expertise lies in training schemes, facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues, and addressing issues of peace, conflict, and civic engagement. She also coordinated the EU-Latin America Partnership on Raw Materials project as an expert. Based at GFA headquarters, she has designed and implemented various governance projects for GIZ, KfW and SDC.