Urs Unkauf is the Federal Managing Director of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA Global Economic Network). He studied history and sociology with an emphasis on international relations at the Universities of Tübingen, Aix-en-Provence/Marseille and Humboldt University of Berlin. His academic focus is on diplomacy, energy policy, geopolitics and security studies with a regional focus on Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the South Caucasus.

Academic exchanges and projects have taken him to Israel, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Poland. He has gained professional experience in the fields of human resources management, government relations, energy policy, public affairs and foreign trade. He has worked as policy adviser to a member of the German National Parliament in 2020-2021. Several times he has also served as an international election observer. Previously serving as Adviser for Diplomacy and Director Government relations of BWA Global Economic Network, he has been a speaker and moderator at various national and international business and policy conferences.