Khaled Gaafar

Rigorous modelling for relevant problems, that is my motto. I had decided I wanted to be a humanitarian in 2011 while I was still doing my BSc. in Civil engineering and construction management. 12 years on, having worked at Procter & Gamble as a supply chain manager, gotten a MPhil. in System Dynamics and a MSc. in Business Administration, and having spent more than 4 years working as an independent researcher/policy analyst in the humanitarian field, I can confidently say I had made the right choice. The world is full of problems where sound mathematical modelling can help. You can think of the globalized world as one big value chain with bottlenecks at every corner. My task is to look where others don’t, to try to uncover useful insights on these bottlenecks that can help save lives and livelihoods. I work on droughts, floods, and water management problems. I tackle the issues of food security and mass displacement in the context of climate change. My clients included the United Nations, Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee Council, Mercy Corps, the Millennium Institute, and others. At SD&Co, I’ve mainly been engaged in collaborative training sessions over the past year. It is a pleasure to be part of their network of highly skilled professionals.