Eng. Bethlehem Alemayehu

Professional Summary

Eng. Bethlehem Alemayehu is an accomplished Ethiopian Civil Engineer, licensed Professional Engineer, MBA-qualified executive, and Founder and Principal Infrastructure Advisor of Vertex Advisory Group. With more than 20 years of leadership experience, she has built a distinguished career across infrastructure, construction, real estate development, investment, and organizational transformation in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and the wider East African region. She has served in senior positions including General Manager, Deputy General Manager, Operations Manager, Group Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer, Project Manager, and Infrastructure Facilitator. Her career demonstrates the rare ability to combine engineering knowledge, executive leadership, commercial discipline, contract governance, and strategic vision. She has governed development portfolios exceeding USD 200 million, mobilized substantial project financing, advised executive boards, strengthened governance systems, improved delivery performance, reduced project costs, prevented claims, and led large multidisciplinary teams. Through Vertex Advisory Group, she now provides independent Project Management Consultancy, infrastructure advisory, project governance, contract governance, procurement, risk-management, due-diligence, organizational-transformation, mentoring, and capacity-building services across East Africa. She is also strongly interested in applying her experience to water, WASH, municipal, and climate-resilient infrastructure programmes that create lasting public value across Africa.

Key Expertise

Major Projects and Contributions

• Leadership of USD 200 Million-Plus Infrastructure and Development Portfolios
  Led and governed major construction, real estate, mixed-use, residential, hotel, retail, and infrastructure portfolios exceeding USD 200 million across Ethiopia and Rwanda. Provided executive oversight of strategy, investment, governance, commercial performance, project delivery, risk, and organizational development.
• Founder and Principal Infrastructure Advisor – Vertex Advisory Group
  Founded an East African infrastructure-advisory practice providing independent Project Management Consultancy, strategic infrastructure advisory, project governance, contract governance, commercial management, procurement strategy, technical due diligence, project health assessments, organizational transformation, executive mentoring, and institutional capacity building.
• Executive Leadership of Major Development Portfolio – JSR Real Estate, Rwanda
  As General Manager, leads the strategic and operational direction of a USD 50–60 million luxury residential and mixed-use development portfolio in Kigali. Oversees the complete development lifecycle from land acquisition, design, financing, and construction through project completion and handover, while strengthening governance and board reporting.
• Mobilization of USD 15–20 Million in Project Financing
  Structured and supported approximately USD 15–20 million in development financing through engagement with investors and financial institutions. Strengthened investment planning, financial analysis, governance systems, budgeting, reporting, and executive decision-making for major development projects.
• General Manager – RAYCON Construction Business Group
  Directed a USD 35–40 million commercial construction and infrastructure portfolio under a leading Grade One contractor. Improved procurement and contract-management systems, reduced operational costs by approximately 8–10 percent, lowered commercial-risk exposure, and reported directly to the Board on project performance, finance, strategy, and risk.
• Group Strategy, Investment and Business Development Leadership
  As Group Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer of East African Holding, led enterprise growth strategy, investment planning, financial modelling, feasibility studies, mergers, acquisitions, and expansion initiatives valued at approximately USD 20–25 million. Advised senior executive leadership on capital deployment and introduced performance indicators for new ventures.
• Governance of Major Mixed-Use Real Estate Developments
  As Deputy General Manager of JAMBO Real Estate, managed a USD 30–35 million mixed-use development portfolio. Strengthened financial discipline, procurement systems, budgeting, cash-flow forecasting, project governance, and delivery performance while reducing supply and procurement costs.
• Management of USD 70–80 Million Hotel, Retail and Mixed-Use Portfolio
  As Operations Manager for Real Estate and Investments at STAR Business Group, managed a USD 70–80 million development portfolio covering hotel, retail, commercial, residential, and mixed-use assets. Improved FIDIC contract administration and project governance, helping reduce contractor claims by approximately 15–20 percent.
• Construction Management and Project Leadership – Afro-Tsion Construction
  Served for approximately nine years in project-management and operations-management roles at Afro-Tsion Construction. Contributed to the planning, coordination, contract administration, construction management, operational control, and successful delivery of major building and infrastructure projects in Ethiopia.
• Infrastructure and Institutional Development – World Vision Ethiopia
  Served as an Infrastructure Facilitator with World Vision Ethiopia, contributing engineering, project coordination, stakeholder engagement, and institutional-support experience within a development-oriented organization serving communities in Ethiopia.
• Contract Administration and Consulting Engineering
  Began her professional career with SB Consult, Consulting Engineers and Architects, supporting contract administration, consultant coordination, engineering documentation, construction supervision, quality-management systems, and the development of a strong professional foundation in civil engineering and infrastructure delivery.
• Future Contribution to Water, WASH and Climate-Resilient Infrastructure
  Offers her executive leadership, project governance, procurement, FIDIC contract administration, project-controls, risk-management, stakeholder-coordination, mentoring, and institutional-capacity expertise to governments, utilities, municipalities, investors, development partners, and private organizations delivering water, WASH, municipal, and climate-resilient infrastructure across Africa.