Aneliese Bernard

About Aneliese Bernard

As the Founder & Director of Strategic Stabilization Advisors (SSA), I help clients operate securely and responsibly in West Africa’s most complex and high-risk environments. My company supports stabilization, counterterrorism, and civil-military engagement where security, governance, and investment intersect.I lead a team that delivers field research, operational guidance, and program implementation for private sector, defense partners and international organizations operating in frontier and unstable markets and environments. Our work strengthens civil-military coordination, manages political and security risks, and builds local acceptance in fragile regions.My experience spans the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and coastal West Africa, and my insights have been featured in The Guardian, Washington Post, CNN, New York Times and Associated Press, among others. If you work in frontier markets and need field-driven, politically attuned support, let’s connect.

Experience

1. Founder and Director

   Strategic Stabilization Advisors

   Feb 2021 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   Founded Strategic Stabilization Advisors, a women-owned small business in Washington DC, in 2021. • Developed innovative strategies to facilitate access to frontier markets and advise on policy and risk. • Created tailored training programs and standard operating procedures for military and civilian clients in high-threat environments. • Successfully penetrated a previously underserved market of advisory firms and policy think tanks.

Education

• The Fletcher School at Tufts University

  Master's Degree, Security Sector Reform and Migration

  2014 — 2016

• New York University

  B.A., International Relations and Political Economy

  2006 — 2010

• Milken Community School

  High School Diploma

  2002 — 2006

Skills

• French
• Political Science
• Fundraising
• Government
• Nonprofits
• International Relations
• Research
• Editing
• Event Planning
• Public Speaking
• Qualitative Research
• Social Media
• International Development
• Policy Analysis
• Politics
• Program Evaluation
• Public Policy
• Foreign Policy
• Community Outreach
• Legislative Relations
• Non-Governmental Organizations (Ngos)
• Data Analysis