Astrid Skala-Kuhmann

Dr. Astrid Skala-Kuhmann is an international lawyer in a senior-management position with many years’ experience in emerging markets. Since 2011, she has been serving as Director of the Department Global Partnerships – Emerging Economies in the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, reporting directly to the board. Previously, from 2005 to 2011, she served as the GIZ’s Chief Resident Representative and Country Director in the P.R. China. She has long-term experience in Asia, in-depth knowledge in global-governance issues as well as a comprehensive understanding of Chinese policy-making and framework conditions. Ms. Skala-Kuhmann began her career as an attorney-at-law with the international law firm White & Case (formerly Feddersen & Laule) in Frankfurt before joining the GIZ where she coordinated various programs in the Middle East and worked as legal advisor in Indonesia, and later headed the division for Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for several years. In the course of her career she has also served as an advisor to German Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMEL), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and other international organizations. Ms. Skala-Kuhmann is a supervisory board member of Lenzing AG and Semperit AG, Austria. She holds a Ph.D. in international environmental law from the University of Göttingen, and is recipient of various scholarships und awards.