PROFESSIONAL RESUME

SAEED MOHAMED AHMED

Phone: +252-63-4169898
Email: surwaale2020@gmail.com
I/KB District, Hargeisa, Somaliland

CAREER OBJECTIVE

In order for me to be able to be an astute learner and the best performer in your organization and pursue a
highly rewarding career, I aim for helping my employer in achieving organizational goals.

STRENGTHS

• A self-motivated and organized professional with over 10 years’ experience providing thorough and
skillful support to supervisors, executive officers and leaderships of diverse and complex responsibilities
of any type of organization including governmental entity.
• A passionate intercultural expert with a blend of experience in mediation, teaching, writing, public
speaking and management in diverse settings.
• Highly experienced in developing, implementing, and managing complex projects within time and
budgetary constraints.
• A dynamic team leader; able to bring energy, enthusiasm, and coaching to motivate workplace
colleagues to achieve their potential and meet objectives. 

• A great deal of familiarity with the culture of Somaliland’s governmental and non-state organizations.
• A highly interpersonal personality with vibrant leadership potential, ethical discipline and integrity from
which many previous colleagues, subordinates and even supervisors learned.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• A substantial part of my occupational expertise lies in the areas of leadership and executive
management, technical administration, planning and programming, monitoring and evaluation and
public policy; I have the requisite skills to lead and manage a project from start to finish, and to build
strong relationships with all stakeholders.


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

DEPUTY VICE PRESIDENT
GOLLIS University
August 2017 – Present (5 months)

MAIN DUTIES:
• The Deputy Vice President (DVP) serves as an assistant to the President and is answerable to the President
of the University. Under the close supervision of the President, the DVP ensures, monitors the decisions
and plans of the various Departments are implemented. The DVP is expected to help the President in
ensuring an environment that promotes a positive atmosphere of achievement and pride for students,
faculties and staffs!!!
• DVP is responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations and functions of the University, its
affiliated colleges, institutes and centers. He is holder of the central administrative duty of the University.


CO-FOUNDER & CEO
URG- United Resource Group for Development
March 2017 – Present (10 months)

MAIN DUTIES:
• Responsible for leading the development as well as the execution of the Company’s long-term strategies
with a view to creating shareholders’ value and consolidating the sustainability of the service delivery
and institutional existence of the Company.
• Responsible for all day-to-day management and implementation of technical and operational plans
including supervision of the current projects and programs.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:
• I was fortunate to fulfil the aspirations of the founders and make this new institution stand on its feet. I
led the establishment phase for the last seven months and managed to set up a functioning office,
establish fruitful relations and partnerships with INGOs, donor agencies and business companies who are
all today regular clients for the Company.
• I also managed to bring URG to forefront when it comes to its relations with the state actors including
the Parliament, the political parties and several key ministries of Somaliland.
• URG’s familiarity with the Youth Network of Puntland, PYAN and the Ministry of Youth and Labor of
Puntland was also part of the achievements I realized while I had the post of CEO, which I want to
handover now to a fresh but capable person who can devote most of his/her time in leading URG to a
great success.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SONYO Umbrella- Somaliland National Youth Organization
February 2011 – December 2016 (5 years 11 months)

MAIN DUTIES:
• Leadership of the operations of the Umbrella, implementation of the organizational strategies;
communication and support of the Board on behalf of the Executive Team; fundraising and partnership-
building with the stakeholders including government, donors, partners, etc.; management of staffs and
supervision of all projects and programs.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:
• Development, review and validation of key consistent policies coupled with procedures and guidelines
that constitute the organizational management system of SONYO Umbrella. These policies have
tremendously added value to the governance and the policy framework of SONYO.
• Improvement of the overall organizational operations. Example: SONYO partners went up 250% in my
first three years, from 4 to 10 in 2013.
• Worked substantially on persuading the decision-makers and the government to fast-track the
legalization and the permission of use of land given to SONYO to build its own headquarters and
following that up in 2013 and 2014, by persuading donors and community at large to help fund the
building of the new premises to the tune of $700,000.
• Campaigned heavily on behalf of SONYO to persuade both the executive and legislative branches of
government to either adopt resolutions promoting youth issues or dismiss laws that were an
impediment to the empowerment of the youth in Somaliland. Examples: The adoption of the
Somaliland Youth Policy by the government of Somaliland and the amendment of Law#20 repealing
the age-entry barrier for elected office.
 • Better coordinated monitoring and evaluating systems for organizational procurement; ensuring an
effective procurement practice with emphasis on quality, cost, deliverability and transparency.
• Worked vastly on SONYO’s organizational sustainability by securing a strategic land space and a well-
architected office compound both as a resource center and a headquarter.


YPP (YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PROGRAM) COORDINATOR
Center for Public Policy
October 2009 – July 2010 (10 months)

MAIN DUTIES:
• Center for Public Policy was a research and policy study institute that partnered many distinguished
organizations and donors including UNPOS, UNDP, USAID, etc.
• My duties included to coordinate the activities of the Young Professionals Program (YPP), which was
a critical program designed for ensuring an effective public sector equipped with competent labor
force whose potentials are untapped.

PROGRAM COORDINATOR
IPRT- Institute for Practical Research and Trainings
April 2008 – May 2009 (1 year 2 months)

MAIN DUTIES:
• Report to the Chief Programs Coordinator
• Under the guidance of the Chief Coordinator, lead the Program implementation of the Institute
• Support the fundraising team of the Institute in building partnerships and responding to the Calls for
Applications
• Supervise the Program Team and facilitate the implementation process through better leadership,
responsible coordination and proactive communication with the stakeholders and partners of the
Institute.
• Work closely with organization board and staff members to recruit and train people to do
orientations.
• Develop and maintain good relations with national partners
• Work with office staff when appropriate and needed to accomplish projects additional to those
pertaining directly to the programming of visitors, such as special projects, special events, large
mailings and preparation of newsletter articles.
• Supervise, organize, and direct the Program Internship.
• Attend regular Board, Committee, and Staff meetings as appropriate.


YOUTH LEADERSHIP INTERN AND CENTER ASSISTANT MANAGER
ARECSMED- African Renaissance Center for Media, Education and Development
August 2006 – January 2008 (1 year 6 months)

MAIN DUTIES:
• assess the needs of young people, and plan and deliver programs related to areas such as health,
fitness, smoking, drugs, gangs, violence, relationships and bullying;
• regularly monitor and review the quality of the local youth work provision;
 • run youth activities at the ARECSMED Center particularly the Youth Leadership Program tasks;
• attend regular training and development opportunities to maintain an up-to-date knowledge of
safeguarding, health and safety and local policy developments;
•
undertake administrative tasks, maintain effective recording systems and respond to queries.

CO-FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN
ORSOD- Organization for Research and Social Development
August 2004 – July 2006 (2 years)

MAIN DUTIES:
• Remain in charge with the administration of leadership and oversight affairs of the Organization
• Preside over all meetings of the organization including those of the Board and the Founding members
• Oversee the operations of the Management Team
• Represent the Organization and remain as its primary spokesman

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Date University/Professional body Subjects and Qualification

AeU, Asian e-University Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, MBA, Master’s of Business Administration,
Sep.12- Sep.14
Multinational University Major in Project Management

OUM, Open University Malaysia Institute of

Aug. 11-Aug. 12 Professional Development School of Lifelong Executive Diploma, Postgraduate Diploma in
Learning Strategic Management

CPP, Centre for Public Policy Young Professional Diploma, in NGO management and
June-Nov. 2010
Programme Communication and Networking

UoH, University of Hargeisa
School of Social BBA, Bachelor’s of Business Administration,

Sep. 05- Sep. 09
Sciences
Faculty of Business & Management Major in Management

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES ATTENDED
• September 21st 2010, Attended in the Horn Peace Summit in Djibouti organized and supported by
IGAD, Djibouti Government and UNDP, where I presented a lecture on showcasing Somaliland’s
peacebuilding process. I was selected as a board member for a new organization (named as Horn
Peace Engagement, HOPE), which was founded by the participants during the Summit. 

• April 14th 2011, Attended in the African Conference on Youth Employment for Peace, Stability and
Development in Addis Ababa Ethiopia which was jointly hosted and supported by the African Union,
IGAD and ILO. Critical strategic framework for sustainable partnership for youth employment was
presented to and validated from the Conference. 

• March 21st 2014, nominated as a participant in the US International Visitors Leadership Program
(IVLP), which selects popular civil society leaders and activists around the world and invites them to
the United States to study the mechanics of the democratic governance and government processes
so that a peaceful, democratic global community can be maintained.
 I was one of the ONLY 20 African young leaders selected to participate in this Program and provided
with an opportunity of visiting to the White House to dialogue and debate with Senior White House
officials including the Special Adviser for US President on African Affairs. During this IVLP visit, I was
taken to more than 6 states where I had the opportunity to understand the policymaking cycle of the
United States. 

• August 10th 2011, I was part of a delegation from African youth leaders gathered in Nairobi for
attending in Leadership Symposium and African Youth NGOs’ Fare. 


LEADERSHIP
• December 2013—present, a member of the Board for the Somaliland Academy for Peace and
Development, APD 

• April 2012—present, a member of the National Planning Commission (NPC) appointed by the
President in a presidential decree in consistence with the Somaliland Aid Coordination Policy. This
Commission closely works with the Somaliland Development Fund. I represent SONYO Umbrella in
this Commission. 

• June 2015—present, a focal point acting as a Co-chair among the designated members constituting
the Youth Sector Coordination Meeting of Somaliland. 

• March, 2014—May, 2015, a member of the Hargeisa Aesthetic Committee nominated as an ad-hoc
taskforce by the President of Somaliland. I had taken a significant role in the assignments of this
Committee acting as the Secretary of the Committee working with the Mayor of Hargeisa and the
Minister of National Planning as the Committee Chair and Co-chair respectively.

PUBLICATIONS 

• Papers, Articles and Research Reports:
One of the papers I have so far written and published is about
the youth in Somaliland including their role in Somaliland’s state building and reconstruction process.
Its working title is: The Salient Role of Youth in the Contemporary History of Somaliland.
• I have also coauthored several academic papers and analytic articles, including a piece on
Somaliland’s Relations with its neighboring states, which attracted many academicians and
researchers interested in the affairs of Somaliland’s state-building. Find it through this URL:
(https://www.pambazuka.org/global-south/re-examining-somaliland’s-relations-neighboring-
states)

HOBBIES
• Playing chess, travelling, reading History, Biographies of Great Personalities, etc., socializing,
participating in Politics, Activism & Volunteering for causes of humanity, justice, change and
development.

REFERENCES
Dr. Saeed A. Hassan Dr. Mohamad-Rashid Sh. Hassan Dr. Ahmed H. Esa
President, GOLLIS University Former State-minister, SLG Founder & CEO, IPRT
Phone: +2522-4141737 Phone: +252-63-4429498 Phone: +2522-4427807
Hargeisa, Somaliland Hargeisa, Somaliland Hargeisa, Somaliland