About Sozo
Supporting sustainable enterprise development and responsible investment in Ethiopia since 2014
Who We Are
Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sozo Consulting was established to support sustainable enterprise development and responsible investment in Ethiopia.
Our Purpose
From the outset, our focus has been to help both local and international organizations navigate the country's landscape with clarity and confidence.
What We Navigate
- •Business landscape
- •Regulatory environment
- •Institutional framework
Why We Exist
The Problem We Address
Navigating Ethiopia's business landscape requires deep local knowledge and international expertise—a combination that's often hard to find.
Complex Business Landscape
International companies struggle to navigate Ethiopia's regulatory, institutional, and cultural environment without local expertise.
We bridge this gap
Limited Local Support
Local enterprises and exporters need strategic guidance and technical support to compete globally and scale sustainably.
We provide this support
Our Mission
Contributing to Growth & Development
Our mission is to contribute to the growth of entrepreneurship and long-term economic development in Ethiopia.
Support Foreign Companies
Strengthen Local Exporters
Improve Business Processes
Foster Effective Collaboration
Our Core Belief
We believe that lasting impact is created not only through access to opportunity, but through knowledge, capability, and partnership.
How We Work
Global Standards, Local Insight
Our work is grounded in a balanced understanding of international business practices and the realities of the local market.
International Business Practices
We bring global standards, best practices, and proven methodologies from international markets.
Local Market Realities
We understand the Ethiopian business environment, regulatory framework, and cultural context.
What This Means for You
- •Tailored advisory solutions that fit your specific needs
- •Informed decision-making based on both global and local insights
- •Sustainable business objectives achieved through responsible operations
Meet the Core Team
A diverse team of local and international professionals bringing global expertise and deep local insight to drive sustainable growth and innovation across the African market.
This model allows us to maintain consistently high quality while remaining flexible and responsive as client needs evolve.
Core In-House Team
Dedicated professionals at the heart of our operations
Network of Specialists
Trusted consultants and experts when needed
Amen Hultstrom
General Manager • 15+ years experience
With over 15 years of experience in enterprise development and project leadership, Amen has played a senior role in strengthening small and medium-sized businesses and advancing entrepreneurship-led economic development. Her work spans enterprise support programme design, strategic partnerships, institutional capacity building, and performance improvement.
Core Expertise:
Lean entrepreneurship • Project management • Ecosystem development • Coaching • Structured entrepreneurship programmes • Enterprise support programme design
Michael Gerum
Project Manager
Michael brings expertise in engineered wood, structural systems, and sustainable building solutions. His background includes wood structural engineering, project management, entrepreneurship training, business development, and marketing.
Core Expertise:
Engineered wood • Structural systems • Sustainable building solutions • Wood structural engineering • Project management • Entrepreneurship training • Business development • Marketing
Klas Bengtsson
Consultant • 30+ years experience
Co-founder of Eco-Innovation Foundation, Klas has over 30 years of experience in forestry systems innovation, sustainable value chains, entrepreneurial training programmes, forest certification, and forestry business development across both Nordic and tropical contexts.
Core Expertise:
Co-founder, Eco-Innovation Foundation • Forestry systems innovation • Sustainable value chains • Entrepreneurial training programmes • Forest certification • Forestry business development • Nordic & tropical contexts
Aaron Kaplan
Consultant
Aaron is an entrepreneur and business developer specializing in eco-innovation. He founded the Stockholm Cleantech network and has extensive experience in sustainable urban development, green entrepreneurship, corporate coaching, and culture-building for inclusive and future-oriented organizations.
Core Expertise:
Entrepreneur & business developer • Eco-innovation specialist • Founder, Stockholm Cleantech network • Sustainable urban development • Green entrepreneurship • Corporate coaching • Culture-building for inclusive organizations • Future-oriented organizations
Trusted & Reliable
Expert Team Model
We operate through a core in-house team complemented by a network of trusted specialists and consultants, ensuring consistently high quality while remaining flexible.
Consistent Quality
Our model allows us to maintain exceptional standards while scaling to meet evolving client needs.
Responsive & Flexible
We adapt quickly to changing requirements, providing tailored solutions that evolve with your business.
Quality management
Working Towards ISO 9001 Certification
At Sozo Consulting Plc, quality is not an option—it is a standard. We’re aligning our internal operations with ISO 9001, the world’s leading framework for quality management systems, to strengthen consistency, transparency, and continuous improvement across every assignment.
ISO 9001 focuses on how organizations deliver services, manage processes, and meet client expectations. By adopting this structure, we’re making our delivery more predictable, measurable, and accountable—without compromising flexibility.
This structured approach supports clear governance, measurable outcomes, and professional accountability across our consulting and technical support work.
We view quality management as an ongoing practice. Certification isn’t the finish line—it’s part of a continuous journey to improve how we serve our clients and deliver impact-driven results.
Our certification work includes
Documented quality management procedures
Clear documentation that standardizes how we plan, deliver, and review work.
Standardized project planning & delivery systems
Repeatable delivery workflows that improve consistency and execution speed.
Client feedback & performance monitoring
Stronger feedback loops and measurement to improve outcomes over time.
Improved risk management & compliance controls
Sharper controls that reduce delivery risk and strengthen governance.
Enhanced training & operational accountability
Better role clarity, training, and internal ownership across teams.
What this means for clients & partners
Stronger quality management improves delivery reliability, oversight, and trust—especially for complex, multi-stakeholder work.
Reliable & consistent service delivery
A clearer delivery system reduces variability across assignments.
Improved oversight & reporting
More structured monitoring and clearer progress visibility.
Higher efficiency & service quality
Better processes support faster execution and stronger outcomes.
Reduced operational risk
Proactive risk controls strengthen governance and compliance.
International best practices
Alignment with a recognized global standard for quality systems.
Greater transparency & trust
More consistent methods and documentation across delivery.
Our work towards ISO 9001 reinforces our position as a dependable consulting partner for governments, development agencies, NGOs, and private sector clients—supporting sustainable growth through disciplined delivery and continuous improvement.
Ready to Work Together?
Let's discuss how we can support your business objectives in Ethiopia.