Transatlantic Relations

Niklas Ebert is a program manager with GMF’s Transatlantic Security program. Based in Berlin, he works mainly on issues of deterrence and resilience as well as German security and defense policy.

Prior to joining GMF, Ebert worked as a research assistant at the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Defence and Military Analysis Programme in Berlin. Previously, he worked for the German Federal Foreign Office focusing on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. He gained additional experience at PricewaterhouseCoopers and the German Council on Foreign Relations.

Ebert received a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and sciences from Maastricht University and holds a master’s degree in war and conflict studies from the University of Potsdam.

Sarah Jones is the Washington, DC-based managing director of GMF’s Leadership Programs. In that role, she leads five flagship leadership initiatives, manages a $2.4 million annual budget, supervises international teams across four countries, and oversees an alumni network encompassing 4,000 people in Europe and North America. Her work focuses on leadership development, organizational effectiveness, and democratic resilience, with an emphasis on aligning institutional values with strategy, talent systems, and measurable impact. She works closely with senior leadership and board committees on strategic planning and long-term organizational sustainability.

Jones is a global leadership development and organizational strategy executive with over 12 years of experience building and leading leadership initiatives across nonprofit, public, academic, and private-sector institutions. She previously served as GMF’s inaugural senior leader responsible for organizational inclusion and culture, and established the organization’s first institution-wide strategy focused on inclusive leadership capability and workforce sustainability. In addition to her executive leadership, she is an adjunct professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs, where she teaches leadership development in public and international affairs.

Jones holds a master’s degree in international education, is professionally proficient in Spanish, and brings extensive global experience from working in more than 30 countries.