Leadership Board

Nathan Ertel

Nathan Ertel is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Contract Resources Group (CRG), an American-owned group of companies supporting complex government, commercial, humanitarian, and mission-critical programs across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and other global markets. He brings more than three decades of executive, programmatic, contractual, financial, and operational leadership, including over 23 years in austere, active-conflict, and post-conflict environments. His work spans more than 30 sectors, and his current advisory portfolio includes client wins exceeding $30 billion in total contract value year to date and a management portfolio above $150 billion.

Mr. Ertel operates at the intersection of national and local governments, military commands, donor and aid agencies, multilateral institutions, INGOs and NGOs, civil-society organizations, private-sector operators, investors, vendors, and the communities ultimately served. His experience encompasses reconstruction, nation-building, stabilization, institutional capacity development, humanitarian support, security, energy, engineering, infrastructure, logistics, aviation, ICT, healthcare, governance, supply chain, and professional services. He specializes in translating policy, funding, and strategic intent into sequenced, compliant, locally grounded programs that can be mobilized, governed, measured, and sustained under demanding operating conditions.

Ifrah Mohamed

Ifrah Mohamed is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ipost Somalia, one of Somalia's most trusted infrastructure, logistics, and life support firms. Operating since 2013, Ipost Somalia has built a proven track record across construction, procurement, transportation, facility management, and workforce solutions — trusted by global defense contractors, UN entities, bilateral donors, and international NGOs operating across Somalia and the broader Horn of Africa.

Under Ms. Mohamed's leadership, Ipost Somalia has grown from a Mogadishu-based startup into a multi-regional firm with operational reach across all of Somalia's major population centers, including Kismayo, Baidoa, and Galkayo. The firm has delivered complex, multi-sector programs for clients including Amentum, Dahabshiil, and the European Union Training Mission, establishing a reputation for reliability, compliance, and field-tested execution in one of the world's most demanding operating environments.

Ms. Mohamed brings a distinctive combination of regional knowledge, commercial acumen, and institutional credibility to the EABC platform. Her leadership reflects a commitment to building Somali and East African private-sector capacity that can compete credibly for international programs — and deliver on them.

Mark Kouri

Mark Kouri is a senior security and stabilisation professional with over two decades of operational leadership across the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. His career spans the full spectrum of security advisory work — from U.S. government-aligned capacity-building programmes to commercial risk management in some of the world's most demanding operating environments.

Mr. Kouri served as an ACOTA (African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance) Country Manager, directly supporting U.S. AFRICOM's training and peacekeeping initiatives across the Sahel and West Africa. He subsequently held security leadership roles with Control Risks in the Gulf of Guinea and the Sahel, and served as Regional Director for GardaWorld Protective Services in Dubai, overseeing protective operations across the Gulf region.

His operational assignments include Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, and other high-risk environments, giving him direct experience in post-conflict stabilisation, force protection, and the security architecture required to enable reconstruction activity. Within the CENTCOM area of responsibility, Mr. Kouri brings particular expertise in the security conditions, access dynamics, and institutional relationships that shape effective operations in Syria and the broader Levant.

Shaun Anderson

Shaun Anderson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The MAASAI Group, LLC, a professional services firm specializing in security advisory, program management, and capacity building across Africa and other complex operating environments. Mr. Anderson brings extensive experience in U.S. government-aligned programs, security sector reform, and institutional capacity development across the African continent.

Mr. Anderson's career spans senior leadership roles in security advisory, training, and program delivery across multiple African nations, with particular expertise in East Africa and the Horn. His work encompasses security sector reform, force modernization, counter-terrorism capacity building, and the institutional frameworks required to sustain security cooperation programs across fragile and conflict-affected environments.

Through The MAASAI Group, Mr. Anderson has built a firm with deep relationships across U.S. government agencies, African security institutions, and international partners — positioning the firm as a credible delivery partner for complex, multi-stakeholder security and stabilization programs across the continent.