Tobias Cornelius Stephan Metzner

In my professional life, I work with my team to make sure that our colleagues in the technical teams have all the resources they need to contribute to our mission. I try to translate their very complex and nuanced research results into a format that demonstrates their insights and the urgency for action into a way that speaks to our implementing and funding partners.

In my personal life, I try to reduce fossil fuel use, eat locally, and limit meat consumption. I try to instil a sense of wonder and respect for nature in my children.

I have such a profound admiration for my colleagues’ scientific work, but at the same time I know that without support units their work would not receive the attention and have the impact that it does. This sense of a common mission brings me great joy – a mission that is important and that we all feel passionately about, even when we disagree on specifics.

I love working with colleagues to design coherent projects, and then watching how these projects evolve over time as they are implemented. Learning what theories stand up to the real world is always a fascinating and humbling experience. In my personal life, I love cooking and rock climbing with my children.

I have 15 years of professional experience in project development, management, operations oversight, proposal development, and programming analysis. Previously, I worked for the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and GIZ. Most of my experience is in humanitarian emergency contexts, ranging from Haiti to Syria and Myanmar. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from the University of Texas, and a Master’s degree in Advanced International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna.