Current ESTDEV head of operations, Andrea Kivi, to take on role of executive director

According to Jonatan Vseviov, ESTDEV’s chairman of the board and secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Board decided to entrust the management of the organisation to Kivi, as she knows ESTDEV inside and out and has repeatedly proven her ability to successfully lead the organisation in the role of acting board member.  

“ESTDEV faces the next important development stage: strengthening the organisation and maintaining the current high quality in the implementation of both Estonian and foreign funding. I am convinced that Andrea's experience, strategic vision and deep knowledge of the development field and organisation make her the best possible leader to implement this challenge,” said Vseviov.  

Kivi emphasises that she sees ESTDEV’s role growing both in Estonia and internationally. 

“We have built a strong foundation for the organisation in recent years. Now my role is to ensure that ESTDEV’s strategic focus remains clear, the organisation is internally stable and Estonia’s position in the field of international development is consistently strengthened. My experience to date and my knowledge of the organisation give me confidence that we can implement our goals even more systematically and effectively,” said Kivi.  

Kivi has worked at ESTDEV since 2022, first as a lawyer and then for the past two years as head of operations. She holds a Master of Laws from Tallinn University and a cum laude master's degree in e-Government Technologies and Services from Tallinn University of Technology. Last year, she was awarded the Second Class Cross of Merit by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for promoting international cooperation of importance to Estonia and successfully conducting the European Commission's pillar assessment process for ESTDEV. 

ESTDEV is a state foundation established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2021, with the aim of coordinating and implementing Estonian development cooperation activities and representing Estonia in international development cooperation initiatives. 

ESTDEV's main priority is supporting Ukraine through infrastructure reconstruction and capacity-building initiatives.  

ESTDEV's budget for 2026 is 35.9 million euros, of which approximately 75% will go to supporting Ukraine. Other sectoral priorities are strengthening democracy and the rule of law, promoting quality education and developing e-governance and cybersecurity in Estonia's strategic priority countries in the EU's Eastern Neighbourhood and Africa.