As the regional lead & senior capacity building adviser at IREX, Hafez serves as a core member of the Youth Excel project leadership team and is responsible for providing strategic and technical leadership to the project, including a large consortium and government/private sector partners. Hafez also oversees the global capacity building approach for youth led and youth serving organizations and groups in line with project technical goals, performance improvement methodologies, and USAID’s New Partnership Initiative.

With more than 15 years of experience in the fields of youth development, social protection, social entrepreneurship, management, and communications, Hafez Neeno has played a vital role in creating impactful programs and enhancing the public’s perception of some of the most prominent organizations and companies operating in Jordan and the region today.

Prior to his current position, Hafez served multiple roles at the International Youth Foundation (IYF) with his last post being the regional director, Middle East & country director, Jordan (2016-2020). Hafez led both the regional and country offices in their collective mission of actualizing impactful programs in Jordan and select countries in the Middle East. This involved a number of pivotal tasks, including designing and implementing development strategies, liaising with stakeholders, and monitoring budgets in order to ensure successful program deployment.

Before joining IYF, Hafez developed and oversaw marketing and communications strategies for a variety of businesses, focusing particularly on Corporate Social Responsibility and on projects that aimed to give back to the local community. Acting as marketing and communications manager at Astra – Arab Supply & Trading Co.; senior accounts manager at Wunderman; and, before that, as training and events specialist for USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project, Hafez carried out duties including marketing planning, launching public relations campaigns, brand development, budget development, and more.

Working collaboratively with peers and officials across organizations, Hafez has coordinated efficiently with governmental and non-governmental entities, adhering to external and internal communications protocols to produce and disseminate material that successfully fulfills the communications objectives of his companies and clients.

Hafez graduated from the New York Institute of Technology in 2006 with a bachelor of arts in business administration and a concentration in communication. Over the course of his career, he has worked with several stakeholders such as the Government of Jordan, USAID, The World Bank, Starbucks, J.P. Morgan, Holton, and many others.