Alexander M. Wegner

Middle East & Africa Specialist 🌍 | UChicago & Georgetown Alumnus 🎓 | From Germany 📌

I'm a German national with 17 years of experience across the Middle East and Africa, having led high-stakes mandates in Bahrain, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. I specialize in strategic and executive positioning, stakeholder engagement, and market entry—especially in complex developing and emerging markets. I'm also a trusted ghostwriter and speechwriter to regional leaders.

I began my career at Weber Shandwick and went on to hold senior roles at APCO and Teneo, where I led multi-million-dollar projects and interviewed leaders such as Andrew Liveris, Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, and Anthony Scaramucci. I also co-managed the Future Investment Initiative (“Davos in the Desert”) and launched its Technology Partnerships community, which I grew from zero to 21 partners—including Boston Dynamics, Huawei, Magic Leap, SoftBank Robotics, and Virgin Hyperloop—in just six months. Later, as Partner, Head of Public Policy, MENA at Instinctif Partners, I built a brand-new practice from the ground up—expanding the team from one to 10 in under 18 months.

I now lead the Middle East business of Crestview, an international strategic communications and public affairs firm, having been headhunted to launch and scale the operation from Dubai. In the 12 months since joining, I've secured more than four clients and grew the team by a factor of six.

Over the course of my career, I have advised a wide range of clients, including ministers, governors, CEOs, sovereign wealth funds, Ultra High Net Worth Individuals, Fortune 500 companies, startups, foundations, and family offices. As part of my remit, I have led international teams of up to 30 and held full P&L responsibility.

I'm an alumnus of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, and a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the German-Emirati Joint Council for Industry and Commerce, and AmCham Abu Dhabi.

I hold graduate and undergraduate degrees in political science from The University of Chicago and Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, both of which awarded me merit scholarships. Earlier in life, I was chosen as a UNICEF Youth Delegate to the G8 and was invited to meet with then-Chancellor Angela Merkel at the German Chancellery.