Gregory Simpson

Greg Simpson is Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at CIPE, where he manages democratic and free-market reform programs in 15 countries of the MENA region. Simpson has more than twenty years of experience with democracy and civil-society-strengthening initiatives, with a particular focus on strengthening membership-based civil society organizations. At CIPE, he has conducted training programs in strategic planning, advocacy, organizational governance and management, membership development, and internal and external communication for business associations, chambers of commerce and industry, and other private sector organizations throughout the MENA region. Before taking on the role of Director, he managed CIPE programs in Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, and Bahrain.

Prior to CIPE, Simpson held three successive country director posts in the Balkans for the International Republican Institute (IRI), during which he advised and trained hundreds of national and local political party organizations, political activists, and elected officials, and directly advised two of the region’s presidents. Simpson has also held positions at online political firm New Media Communications, the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), and the Center for Civil Society in Southeastern Europe. He holds a B.A. in International Studies from American University and is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s chamber and association management program, the Institute for Organization Management (IOM).