Veton Zekolli assumed the position of Executive Director of the European Fund for the Balkans at the beginning of September 2025.
He brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to democratic development, dialogue, and regional cooperation - which were recognised as key traits for continuing the EFB strategic steering in the ever-changing regional context.
Being actively engaged in the civil society sector since the beginning of his career, Veton combines deep regional knowledge with a passion for fostering dialogue and collaboration. He has over 15 years of experience in governance, institutional reform, and international development, with proven success in leading cross-sectoral programs - from concept to execution - for international organizations, and government institutions.
With strong skills in stakeholder engagement, donor relations, monitoring and evaluation (MEL), risk analysis, and strategic planning, he has been part of different multicultural and dynamic environments, creating partnerships that deliver measurable impact.
Prior to joining the Fund, he was the Executive Director of the Nansen Dialogue Centre Skopje (2019-2023), and a Program Manager at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (2023-2025). His native language is Albanian, and he is fluent in English, Macedonian and Serbian.
CONTACT: veton.zekolli@balkanfund.org