Bird Team:

Dr. Brunner, born in 1965, holds a masters degree in economics and a PhD in political science

Dunja Speiser is specialised in the area of governance, democratisation, state building and post-conflict reconstruction

Silke Williams Translator/Interpretor for German, English and French with a focus on economics and international relations

Verena Michels has a double diploma in business administration

Doris Halm has a Diploma in Cultural Studies with a focus on languages and economics.


Rebekka holds a B.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of San Francisco and a M.A. in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University in Washington DC.



Bureau for Institutional Reform and Democracy




Markus Brunner: Director


Dr. Markus Brunner has been working with BiRD since the founding of the company in July 1998, initially as a Senior Programme Officer, then as Deputy Director, since 2008 as Director. In this capacity, Dr. Brunner has both participated directly in the implementation of projects and missions as key expert, has been involved as project director and principal backstopper on the consortium level for the implementation of larger-scale EDF-projects and was also in charge of business development, including building of consortia, drafting and submission of proposals and liaising with clients, partner companies and experts. Dr. Brunner, born in 1965, holds a masters degree in economics and a PhD in political science, has more than 15 years of work experience, among them close to four years in Nigeria, three years in Kenya and three years in Syria. Currently, he is based in Istanbul/Turkey.



Dunja Speiser: Project Manager


Dunja Speiser is a Political Scientist and has been with BiRD for more than 10 years, mostly on a freelance basis. She is responsible for the preparation, management and realisation of governance related projects as well as business development mainly in the Central and West African region. Numerous projects for different bi- and multilateral donors have been directly implemented by her as key expert. For four years, Dunja Speiser has been representing BiRD’s DR Congo Branch in Kinshasa. In 2010, she was with GTZ and managed its DRC Police Reform project. Dunja Speiser is specialised in the area of governance, democratisation, state building and post-conflict reconstruction (security sector reform, civil society and youth), and provides specific working and research experience in DR Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso. Before having joined BiRD on a full time basis in 2006, Dunja Speiser was a research fellow at the Africa Unit of the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik/ Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin.



Silke Williams: Project Coordinator


Silke Williams has been working with BiRD as Programme Officer since June 2008 and as Project Coordinator since 2010. She lived in the US for six years where she gained comprehensive professional experience working with international corporations such as Sun Microsystems, Cisco Systems, Google, Autodesk and Sony in California as German Translator/Administrative Specialist and Project Coordinator. She is now in charge of the preparation and coordinaton of projects, the acquisition of consultants and administrative tasks within the company. Silke Williams has graduated as Translator/Interpretor for German, English and French with a focus on economics and international relations.



Verena Michels: Programme Officer


Verena Michels has been working with BiRD as Programme Assistant since July 2009 and as Programme Officer since July 2010. She lived and studied in Costa Rica and worked for the German Costarican Chamber of Commerce in San José, for Siemens in Madrid and Nómadas in Chile in project management and finance. She is in charge of the recruitment of experts for short-term Lot 7 FWC missions and assisting the BiRD team in the preparation of long and short term EDF financed programmes in the governance sector as well as in all administrative matters. Verena Michels has a double diploma in business administration.



Doris Halm: Programme Assistant


Doris Halm joined BiRD in March 2010 as a Programme Assistant. Her main responsibility is the administration and maintenance of BiRD’s large database of international experts. In addition, she supports the team in all tasks regarding the recruiting of consultants and the preperation of short and long-term projects. Doris Halm has a Diploma in Cultural Studies with a focus on languages and economics. She lived and studied in Costa Rica and Brazil for extended periods of time.




Rebekka Sprenger: Junior Programme Officer


Rebekka Sprenger is BiRD´s Junior Programme Officer. Resettling to Munich from her native Switzerland, she joined the team in March 2013. Rebekka´s main tasks include the recruitment of experts for the EU Lot 7 and DFID GEFA framework contracts as well as administrative and technical support in the preparation of short and long-term programmes in the governance sector. Rebekka holds a B.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of San Francisco and a M.A. in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University in Washington DC. Over the past nine years, Rebekka has worked with various different international development organizations in the US, Guatemala, India, Liberia, and Senegal.