With more than 20 years of international experience, I help prominent organisations and high-level decision-makers communicate with clarity, credibility, and conviction. No jargon — just the right message at the right moment, expertly delivered.
When AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina needed a speechwriter, I didn’t hesitate and boarded the first plane to Côte d’Ivoire.
For the next four years, I lent my craft to champion Africa’s transformation, building on earlier work for Education Above All (EAA) Foundation Chair Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, and prominent Australians such as Queensland Governor Paul de Jersey. By helping the President make his case with clarity, credibility, and conviction, I contributed to securing billions in funding and elevating the AfDB’s standing as one of the world’s most trusted multilateral finance institutions.
After completing my tenure as Chief Communication Officer and Presidential Speechwriter at the Bank, I moved to Papua New Guinea to lead advocacy and communication efforts at UNICEF. I built a dedicated team, boosted visibility, and drew on my multilateral experience to make a difference. I also assumed the chairmanship of the UN Communications Group, coordinating efforts to strengthen capacity and amplify the collective voice of UN agencies in the country.
From my early days as a freelance journalist in the Netherlands to my current role with UNICEF, I’ve always been driven by a commitment to excellence — amplifying important information, shaping public discourse, and turning bold ideas into meaningful action.
I bring a rare mix of big-picture thinking and hands-on delivery. With a journalist’s instinct for storytelling and a strategist’s eye for impact, I turn complexity into clarity — crafting messages that engage, influence, and deliver results.
I get things done — at the highest levels of leadership and where it matters most: on the ground, where reputations are built.
Let’s connect on LinkedIn or click here to get in touch today.
Niels Kraaier, PhD
hello@niels.com.au
Expertise
Brand & Reputation, Crisis Communications, Executive Communication, Intercultural Management, Media Relations, Mentoring & Training, Public Speaking, Research & Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategy & Implementation.
Experience
Papua New Guinea (2024-Present)
Head of Advocacy & Communication, UNICEF
Chair, United Nations Communication Group
Africa & The Middle East (2019-2024)
Chief Communication Officer | Presidential Speechwriter, AfDB
Speechwriter to the Chairperson, Education Above All Foundation
Australia & New Zealand (2008-2019)
Speechwriter to H.E. Paul de Jersey AC, Office of the Governor
Doctoral Researcher in Political Communication, Griffith University
Foreign Correspondent, EW Magazine and other media outlets
Media, Communication, & Management Lecturer, Griffith University
The Netherlands (Prior to 2008)
Senior Ministerial Advisor, Government of the Netherlands
Speechwriter to the CEO, Royal Dutch Touring Club ANWB
Deputy Managing Editor, Royal Dutch Touring Club ANWB
Education
Leadership Principles, Business Certificate Course, Harvard Business School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Political Communication, Griffith University
MA (Hons1), Journalism & Mass Communication, Griffith University
Foundational Diploma in Copywriting, inHolland University
Memberships
Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research
Communication & Public Relations Australia (CPRA)
Residence
Dual citizen of Australia and the European Union
Currently based in Papua New Guinea
Leadership grows at the edge of experience
I began my professional journey in the 1990s, first as a volunteer for a community newsletter and then as a freelance News & Current Affairs Reporter for a daily newspaper. An interim role as Deputy Managing Editor for a magazine published by the Royal Dutch Touring Club ANWB — one of Europe’s largest and most influential membership organisations — led to an offer to become a speechwriter for their CEO. I deepened my writing and advisory skills before joining the Government of the Netherlands in a senior role, serving two consecutive ministers for Transport, Public Works and Water Management.
Over and over, I’ve seen that the greatest opportunities lie outside your comfort zone. In 2008, I moved to Australia as a foreign correspondent for EW Magazine and other prominent media outlets, covering everything from elections to natural disasters. Meanwhile, I completed a PhD in Political Communication, lectured at Griffith University, and continued my advisory work. This opened the door to a global career advising leaders across sectors, cultures, and continents.
My mission is to drive meaningful change and deliver measurable impact. I do this by upholding values I believe in — integrity, mutual respect, and the courage to think differently. Success should always be earned, never demanded — and more than anything, it takes courage to claim it.
