Head, Center of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur

Samer Yousef Elesawi

 

Samer Yousef Elesawi assumed the role as the Head of IsDB Center of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur since September 2023. In his previous capacity as the Senior Waqf Fund Specialist, he was selected by H.E the President of IsDB Group to be part of the core team to establish and operationalize the Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund, announced by the OIC during the OIC FM’s summit in December 2021. He also served as Senior Country Manager for the GCC and Yemen/ Egypt, Sudan, Mauritania and Libya, where he led country policy dialogues and developed Partnership Strategies with Member Countries.

Before joining IsDB, Samer worked as Regional Program Manager at German International Cooperation (GIZ), responsible for coordinating with Arab donors, governmental institutions, and NGOs to enhance partnerships and create joint financing programs.  He worked as Executive Regional Manager for HRH Prince Turki bin Talal (AGFUND for Development), and as a Program Manager at the Royal Hashemite Court in Jordan, managing humanitarian initiatives and programs.

Samer Elesawi is a results-driven and forward-thinking professional with over 24 years of comprehensive experience in international development, project management, strategic planning, and partnership building. He has proven success in overseeing the operations and financial affairs of member countries portfolios, Trust Funds, facilitating cross-functional coordination, and improving operational efficiency. He has ability to implement complex projects, and maintaining professional relationships with member countries, multilateral development institutions and international organization.

Samer Elesawi is a Jordanian national holding a Master of Science degree in Financial Markets and a Bachelor of Economy awarded from the University of Jordan.