Team

Irene Braam joined the Bertelsmann Foundation as executive director in April 2016. She is also the first vice president and board director of the Bertelsmann Foundation Board of Directors.

Irene is an experienced lawyer and media expert, and worked for over ten years with the Bertelsmann company. She began as director of government relations of the Brussels Liaison Office in 2005 and became senior vice president of government relations in September 2011.

Irene developed, among other things, a European platform for global discussion about the digital transformation of the media world. The series was held in Brussels, Berlin, Madrid and London. Not only did she represent and position Bertelsmann’s interests in the EU, she also promoted Bertelsmann in other cultural and social events in Brussels, such as UFA Film nights, previews of Fremantle Media’s productions, exhibitions and public panel discussions.

After studying law at Maastricht University, the Dutch native began her professional career in 1998 in the music industry. Irene was head of international, legal and business affairs at Naïve Records in Paris, in charge of business development for Midbar Tech Ltd. in Tel Aviv, and served as both director of public policy and government affairs, and director of legal and business affairs at the Universal Music Group in London and Brussels.

Irene is a native speaker of Dutch, and also speaks English, German, French and some Spanish.

Tony Silberfeld joined the Bertelsmann Foundation as the Director of Transatlantic Relations in April 2014, overseeing the project portfolio at the core of our mission to strengthen the Euro-Atlantic partnership. His current research focuses on the intersection of technology and democracy in Europe and the United States, drawing on lessons from every corner of the globe. Tony has produced long-form publications, policy briefs, graphic books, education guides, digital animations and feature-length documentary films, constantly exploring innovative ways to connect the Foundation’s work to policymakers and the public.

Tony arrived at the Foundation after seven years with the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where was head of political and public affairs at the British Embassy’s Northern Ireland Bureau in Washington, DC. He also served as the Northern Ireland government spokesman in the Americas, and advised government ministers on political developments in the United States, Canada and Brazil. Prior to his tenure at the embassy, Tony held posts as a foreign policy advisor in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives.

Tony has a master’s degree from the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies and a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University.

Faith joined the Bertelsmann Foundation when it was established in February 2008. She is responsible for the financial, administrative and human resource operations of the organization.

Faith previously managed the administrative and travel units of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Washington, DC. Prior to that position, she worked for several years in administration at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). She held managerial and administrative positions within the dean’s office of the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, and at the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities within the UCLA Schools of Medicine and Public Health.

Faith has a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in race, ethnicity and stratification from UCLA.

Samuel George is the Bertelsmann Foundation’s Global Markets and Digital Advisor. Since joining Bertelsmann Foundation in 2012, his work has focused on economics, politics, the digital revolution, and daily life with a specific emphasis on where these issues intersect.

His multimedia approach features documentary film, animated video, and written analysis. Samuel’s documentaries bring viewers up close and personal to people and communities facing the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century, offering candid perspectives that allow viewers to draw their own conclusions. Samuel’s written work has also sought to highlight global crossroads. His publications investigate the global impact of the digital revolution, arguing that a successful digital transition requires an inclusive conversation. This work builds upon previous research that contextualized trends in emerging markets, while underscoring the importance of international economics to the transatlantic community.

Samuel is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and holds a master’s degree in international politics and economics from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington. He is currently completing a PhD at that same institution.

Megan joined the Bertelsmann Foundation in December 2015 and is responsible for event logistics, office travel and other administrative duties. She previously worked in academic administration at the Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, DC. Megan managed the graduate academic affairs for several departments within the CUA School of Arts and Sciences, and before that, worked in an administrative position for the CUA Department of Politics.

Megan has a bachelor’s degree in global studies with a concentration in European integration and a minor in international business and history from Loyola University Maryland. During her studies at Loyola, she spent one year abroad at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. In that time, she traveled extensively, studied Dutch and participated in diverse cultural exchange programs and experiences.

Brandon Bohrn joined the Bertelsmann Foundation in January 2020 as Manager of Transatlantic Relations. Specifically, he manages the German-American relations project.

Before joining Bertelsmann, Brandon served as an intern with the U.S. Embassy Berlin, U.S. Consulate Düsseldorf, and U.S. Senate. He also participated in the Fulbright program as an English teaching assistant in Wanne-Eickel, Germany.

Brandon completed the TransAtlantic Masters Program (TAM) in political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As part of the program, he spent one year as a DAAD scholar at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Brandon is also a graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. He speaks German and some Turkish.

Chloe Laird joined the Bertelsmann Foundation in June of 2021 as Manager of Transatlantic Relations. She is specifically tasked with managing the CEPI fellowship.

A recent graduate of Georgetown University’s Master of German and European Studies in the School of Foreign Service, her prior research heavily focused on issues related to Transatlantic security.

She received her undergraduate degree in Spanish and International Relations at the University of Virginia. Prior to joining Bertelsmann, she interned with the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington DC as well as the Centre des études, des réserves et des partenariats in Paris, France.

Originally from France, she speaks fluent French and, having spent some time in Spain abroad during her undergraduate experience, she also speaks Spanish.

Nathan Crist supports multimedia projects including video and podcast series on democracy and transatlantic relations. Based at the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Berlin office, he also helps link DC-based and Germany-based colleagues working on transatlantic topics. Nate leads website maintenance and analytics and helps manage the Bertelsmann Foundation’s social media platforms.

Nate’s research and writing has focused on democracy, populism, the enlargement of the European Union in southeastern Europe, and U.S.-German relations.

Prior to joining the Bertelsmann Foundation in 2017, Nate received an MA in German and European Studies from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. He has experience in radio journalism, was a participant in the International Parliamentary Scholarship of the German Bundestag (IPS), and was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Austria.

Chesney Garnos joined the Bertelsmann Foundation in June of 2021 as Manager of Digital Communications & Outreach. Specifically, Chesney manages the organization’s social media and organizational outreach.

Before joining Bertelsmann, Chesney served in previous roles at the United States Senate, Milken Institute, and the D.C. based nonprofit, GOODProjects.

A graduate of the University of South Dakota, Chesney received her Master’s Degree in Communication Studies, in addition to her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Social Media Marketing.

Growing up in a rural town next to the Lower Brule Reservation in South Dakota, Chesney is an advocate for more accessible resources and opportunities for rural communities across the globe.

Following the death of her husband, Reinhard Mohn, Liz Mohn represents the fifth generation of the Bertelsmann/Mohn family, owner of the Bertelsmann media group. She is vice-chair of the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Executive Board and its Board of Trustees, and the interim president of the Board of Directors of the Bertelsmann Foundation.

She is also chair of the Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft Executive Board and a member of the Supervisory Board at Bertelsmann SE. She serves as president of the German Stroke Foundation, an organization she founded, and chairs the board of the Liz Mohn Foundation for Culture and Music. She also chairs the Board of Trustees of the Association of German Music Schools.

In 1999, she became the first female member of the Club of Rome from Germany. In 2000, she received Germany’s Cross of Merit, First Class, and in 2008 the organization Atlantik-Brücke selected her as the first woman to receive the Vernon A. Walters Award. In 2010 she was also honored with the Global Economy Prize by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. She received an ECHO Klassik award in 2002 and again in 2012. In 2013, she was named an officer of the French Legion of Honor.

Ralph Heck, who comes from the German-speaking part of Belgium, studied industrial engineering. After working at the International Monetary Fund, he joined the management consultancy McKinsey, were he worked until 2017. He has since served on various supervisory boards. Since 2012, Ralph Heck has been a member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Board of Trustees. In August 2020, he became Chairman of the Foundation's Executive Board, where he is also responsible for the programs Europe's Future and Shaping Sustainable Economies.

Irene Braam joined the Bertelsmann Foundation as executive director in April 2016. She is also the first vice president and board director of the Bertelsmann Foundation Board of Directors.

Irene is an experienced lawyer and media expert, and worked for over ten years with the Bertelsmann company. She began as director of government relations of the Brussels Liaison Office in 2005 and became senior vice president of government relations in September 2011.

Irene developed, among other things, a European platform for global discussion about the digital transformation of the media world. The series was held in Brussels, Berlin, Madrid and London. Not only did she represent and position Bertelsmann’s interests in the EU, she also promoted Bertelsmann in other cultural and social events in Brussels, such as UFA Film nights, previews of Fremantle Media’s productions, exhibitions and public panel discussions.

After studying law at Maastricht University, the Dutch native began her professional career in 1998 in the music industry. Irene was head of international, legal and business affairs at Naïve Records in Paris, in charge of business development for Midbar Tech Ltd. in Tel Aviv, and served as both director of public policy and government affairs, and director of legal and business affairs at the Universal Music Group in London and Brussels.

Irene is a native speaker of Dutch, and also speaks English, German, French and some Spanish.

Philipp Rösler has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Bertelsmann Stiftung since 2018.

Prior, he was a member of the Executive Board of the World Economic Forum. From 2009 to 2013, he was a member of the Cabinet of Germany. First, he acted as Minister for Health, then as Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Technology. He was a member of the parliament of Lower Saxony from 2003 to 2009 and held the office of Vice Minister President and Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor and Transport in 2009. Before his political career, he practiced medicine as a captain in the German military. He studied medicine and received his doctorate in 2002.

Dr. Stephen F. Szabo is a senior fellow at the American Institute for Contemporary Studies, Johns Hopkins University and a professorial lecturer at SAIS Johns Hopkins University

Previously, Szabo was the executive director of the Transatlantic Academy, based at the Washington office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). He also served as academic and interim dean as well as professor of European studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. Prior to that he served as professor of national security affairs at the National Defense University and chairman of West European studies at the Foreign Service Institute, U.S. Department of State. He has written on German foreign and security policies, generational politics in Europe, and transatlantic security and political relations. His publications include The Changing Politics of German Security; The Diplomacy of German Unification; Parting Ways: The Crisis in the German-American Relationship; and Germany, Russia and the Rise of Geo-Economics.

Wilhelm-Friedrich Uhr has been with the Guetersloh, Germany-based Bertelsmann Stiftung since 2003. He joined as senior vice president for human resources and organization, and became in 2013 senior vice president for corporate operations.

Prior to joining the Stiftung, Mr Uhr was executive director of it-akademie ostwestfalen (IT Academy of East Westphalia), an institution that was a Bertelsmann Stiftung project.

Mr Uhr was a World Bank senior human-resources officer responsible for southeastern Asia based in Washington, DC from 1997 to 2000. He joined the bank from Siemens, where he served as director of human resources and organizational development for the electromechanical components division.

Between 1989 and 1994, Mr Uhr worked for Nixdorf, where he held various positions, among them the personal assistant to the board member in charge of human resources and the director of the software engineering department.