Hyphen is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Jörg Michael Funk as both Senior Executive Partner and General Manager for Saudi Arabia.

Jörg brings more than 25 years of senior leadership experience across consulting, industry and government and a track record of delivering results wherever he has worked. He will work closely with Founder and Managing Director Michael Savolainen and the rest of the leadership team to chart the future direction of Hyphen by bringing fresh ideas, expanding executive capacity and growing our footprint across priority sectors.

The appointment reflects Hyphen’s continued focus on senior, delivery-led engagements and its ambition to work directly with decision-makers on the issues that shape economies, industries and institutions. Having collaborated with Hyphen in recent years, Jörg is well placed to hit the ground running in this new, formalised capacity. Having seen the way in which our team works and our service offerings, he believes there are considerable opportunities for the future.

Jörg said: “What attracted me is the concept of being able to take the structuring and analytical capabilities from consulting and combine them with real-life expertise. Having people who have actually done it, not only consulted it, is very powerful. The experts we have are very senior – ministerial-level experts and former CEOs of very large companies – so we are involved in highly relevant and important topics with people who have a lot of impact and influence.”

Thinking about how Hyphen’s approach facilitates project delivery, he added: “The period of producing tonnes of papers is gone. Now everyone, whatever type of role or business, has to deliver, and delivery is easier when you have people who have delivered in the past.”

In addition to his senior position within our overarching corporate structure, Jörg, who is based in Riyadh, will lead Hyphen’s expansion in the Kingdom, supporting both public and private-sector clients on complex, high-impact initiatives. The appointment reflects Hyphen’s continued focus on senior, delivery-led engagements and its ambition to work directly with decision-makers on the issues that shape economies, industries and institutions.

Commenting on the Saudi opportunity, Jörg added: “Saudi Arabia offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The ambition is real, the topics are meaningful, and the focus has clearly shifted from producing reports to delivering outcomes. When you work with people who have built, transformed, and delivered at scale before, you can move faster and have a much greater impact. That is why Hyphen’s model fits extremely well in the current context in KSA and beyond.”

Across consulting, industry, and government, Jörg has led large, cross-functional teams, worked with boards, senior stakeholders and the highest level of government officials, and operated in settings where governance, judgement, and execution are inseparable. Michael said Jörg will add significant experience and leadership that will benefit both our own team and our client partners.

He noted: “Jörg brings exceptional credibility, judgement and regional insight. His experience and network in Saudi Arabia will be instrumental as we continue to build our presence and support clients on their most critical priorities.

“Jörg is a leader who has built and run organisations, not just advised them. He has hired teams, set direction, and taken accountability for delivery in demanding contexts. He brings strong people leadership, sound governance instincts, and the ability to operate comfortably with boards, ministers, and senior executives.

“That depth of leadership experience strengthens Hyphen’s ability to support clients who need trusted senior figures to guide teams, manage complexity, and see initiatives through to execution.”

Interested in working with us in Saudi Arabia?

Contact Jörg to explore opportunities in the Kingdom and see if Hyphen can provide you with the cross-functional support needed to complete the biggest business projects.