Jakob Zeidler is the Senior Vice President of DAI’s European Union Business Unit and plays a leading role in driving DAI’s work in the EU. Based in Vienna, he oversees more than 100 staff across DAI’s corporate offices in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Serbia, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom.

Jakob’s interest in international development stems from his academic research in public administration reform in the Western Balkans. He joined the European consultancy, Human Dynamics, in 2006 and steadily took on more significant roles within the company and its Implementation Department, which he led from 2015 until DAI acquired Human Dynamics in 2019.

As the Department Head, he managed various projects throughout Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Western Balkans, and Türkiye. He directed several key European Commission projects, such as initiatives addressing climate change in the Middle East and North Africa region, community development work in Pakistan, and efforts aimed at restructuring the financial sector in Ukraine. Since taking charge of DAI’s EU Business Unit in 2020, he has positioned DAI as a top implementer of service contracts in the EU external aid market.

• M.S., international relations, University of Vienna