Hewete Haileselassie
East Africa & Middle East Expert
Hewete has more than 18 years of experience across international journalism, editorial leadership, and strategic communications with a focus on East Africa and the Middle East. She spent 15 years at the BBC World Service and BBC Africa, where she held senior roles spanning journalism, editorial management, talent development, and equality initiatives. During her BBC career, Hewete worked extensively across Africa, covering elections and major news events in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and beyond.
Since leaving the BBC, her media relations work has spanned East Africa and the Middle East, including advising a high-profile UAE client on the Kenyan media landscape, media relations strategy, and placing content, and coordinating international media for a major conference in Saudi Arabia.
Hewete also designs and delivers bespoke media and spokesperson training for government ministers, heads of state, CEOs, founders, and institutional spokespeople. Recent training clients include Oxfam, where she works with the senior leadership team on decolonised storytelling and spokesperson practice.
Hewete holds board roles at Action Against Hunger UK, Hamlin Fistula UK, and African Women in Media. Hewete is a native English speaker, fluent in French and Amharic, with advanced Spanish and developing Swahili.