01.02.2018

Cornelia Richter takes up new post at United Nations agency

From 1 February 2018, GIZ Managing Director Cornelia Richter is taking up a new post as Vice-President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development in Rome.

Describing her move to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Ms Richter said, ‘Global challenges make working in a multilateral organisation a very exciting prospect, and the IFAD role is a wonderful complement to my experience in international cooperation.’

IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency that invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Germany and IFAD share a strong commitment to ensure the resilience and prosperity of rural communities, where three-quarters of the world's poorest people live. Germany is a founding member of IFAD and remains one of its largest donors.

Dr Friedrich Kitschelt, Chair of GIZ’s Supervisory Board and State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), said, ‘I am extremely grateful to Cornelia Richter for all the work she has done down the years and wish her every success in her future career. BMZ is delighted that Ms Richter will be using her expertise at IFAD to make an even more specific contribution to BMZ’s One World – No Hunger Initiative.’

Chair of GIZ’s Management Board Tanja Gönner added, ‘We are very sorry to be losing Cornelia Richter, her expertise and long experience, but we congratulate her on this appointment and share in her excitement as she takes up her new role.’

Ms Richter joined the then Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH in 1989 and has since held a range of management positions within the company. She has been a Managing Director since July 2012. The remaining three Managing Directors will take over her responsibilities.