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MANAGEMENT CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT

Iraq expertise.
Lasting impact.

We help businesses grow, investors assess opportunities, and development partners deliver results. Local knowledge, international experience and hands-on implementation across Iraq.

Explore our servicesSee our work
ERBIL, IRAQLOCAL KNOWLEDGE. INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE.
Mountains of the Kurdistan Region

PRACTICAL EXPERTISE. LASTING VALUE.

Understand the market.
Build the capability.
Deliver the result.

Top Mountain is an Iraqi management consulting and economic development firm headquartered in Erbil. We advise companies, public institutions and development partners on strategy, investment and delivery.

Our strength is the connection between analysis and implementation: market evidence, commercial relationships and practical support that help clients compete and perform.

2014Established in Erbil, Iraq
3,000+SMEs supported through advisory services
$5Min financing secured for local businesses
90,000+Consulting hours delivered
Meet Top Mountain

CLIENT & PARTNER EXPERIENCE

OUR SERVICES

Expertise that moves your priorities forward.

Government Advisory

Policy, procedures, institutional reform and public-sector capacity.

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Management Consulting

Strategy, operations, financial management, people and organizational performance.

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Economic Development

Incubation, acceleration, Business Development Services and renewable energy.

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Access to Finance

Program design and implementation, bank loan processes, client due diligence, outreach and marketing.

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Market Access

Market research, company establishment, partnerships and local operational support.

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Event Management

Conferences, launches and platforms for business and policy discussion.

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OUR EXPERTISE

The capabilities behind our work.

Strategy, finance, research and implementation — brought together around your priorities.

Explore our full capabilities
01

Strategy & business performance

+

Build a clear path to growth, then strengthen the operations that make it possible. We work with leadership teams and business owners to align priorities, improve execution and compete more effectively.

  • Business strategy and growth planning
  • Marketing, sales, branding and packaging
  • Financial management, costing and cash flow
  • Operations, inventory, HR and process improvement
02

Investment readiness & access to finance

+

Turn a promising business into a credible financing proposition. We help enterprises understand their capital needs, improve financial visibility and prepare a stronger case for lenders and investors.

  • Business assessment and financial analysis
  • Business plans and investment propositions
  • Financing application preparation
  • Post-financing advisory and growth support
03

Research & market intelligence

+

Make important decisions with a clearer view of the market. We combine field research, structured assessments and contextual analysis to uncover opportunities and translate evidence into practical choices.

  • Market research and sector assessments
  • Enterprise diagnostics and surveys
  • Business intelligence and opportunity analysis
  • Monitoring, evaluation and learning
04

Economic development & program delivery

+

Design and deliver programs that respond to the needs of businesses and communities. We bring together technical expertise, enterprise engagement and disciplined implementation to support private sector development.

  • SME business development services
  • Incubation and acceleration
  • Entrepreneurship and employment programs
  • Program design, implementation and reporting
05

Institutional capability & transformation

+

Help teams work more effectively and sustain improvements. Our support brings training, management systems and practical technology adoption together around the organization’s real delivery needs.

  • Governance and institutional capacity building
  • Training, coaching and training of trainers
  • AI enablement and knowledge workflows
  • Strategic communications and stakeholder engagement
06

Market entry & local delivery

+

Navigate Iraq with informed advice and a capable local partner. We help international organizations understand the business environment, establish relationships and organize the resources needed to operate.

  • Market entry strategy and local research
  • Company setup, recruitment and payroll support
  • Procurement, logistics and supply chain coordination
  • Partner and stakeholder engagement
  • Business events and conferences
07

Renewable energy & commercial solar

Commercial advisory for local solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies, and investment support for businesses deploying solar power.

  • Business development and growth strategy
  • Market analysis and customer targeting
  • Expansion strategy and market positioning
  • Business cases, financial projections and access to finance

SELECTED EXPERIENCE

Local experience.
Measurable results.

Enterprise growth, access to finance and institutional development in practice.

Top Mountain’s wider enterprise development work: business incubator team discussion
ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT 01

Tailored advice.
National reach.

For IOM’s business development work, Top Mountain assessed enterprise needs and delivered tailored consulting in finance, marketing, operations and organizational management.

310SMEs selected across
eight governorates
Explore the engagement

The engagement began with assessments of 400 SMEs. Selected businesses received practical advisory support built around their own growth constraints, combining diagnostics, implementation guidance and coaching.

Enterprise diagnostics · Tailored advisory · Investment readiness

Panel at the Bloom access-to-finance launch
ACCESS TO FINANCE 02

Connecting businesses
with growth capital.

Through the KRG Bloom Access to Finance program, Top Mountain supported enterprise assessment and financing readiness to help viable businesses advance their investment plans.

IQD 2.8BLoans across 25
selected businesses
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The program received 112 applications and assessed 40 businesses before selecting 25. Support focused on understanding business performance, evaluating financing needs and developing credible growth propositions.

Financial assessment · Business planning · Capital access

Bloom loan documentationBloom loan documentation
Business accelerator participants
ENTREPRENEURSHIP 03

Building stronger
agribusinesses.

Top Mountain’s USAID-supported accelerator paired business advisory with capital access, helping more than 200 SMEs strengthen strategy, production, branding and market access.

200+SMEs received technical support
through USAID programs
Explore the engagement

More than 40 SMEs received in-kind grants. Consulting covered market strategy, production processes, branding and capital deployment, with events connecting founders to customers, peers and potential investors.

Acceleration · Growth strategy · Investment facilitation

Business accelerator workshopBusiness accelerator workshopBusiness accelerator trainingBusiness accelerator trainingGrowers in a greenhouseGrowers in a greenhouse

Figures refer to the selected engagements shown; financing values are rounded.

Explore our wider project experience
Crisis response and displaced communities

CRISIS RESPONSE

Crisis readiness across Iraq

UNDP-supported Iraqi Crisis Response and Resilience Program

Top Mountain assessed capacity and delivered technical training to 14 Joint Coordination and Monitoring Center field offices and the Baghdad headquarters.

14 field offices + Baghdad headquarters
Activities & achievements

Training covered crisis and information management, analysis and reporting, needs and gap assessment, and risk assessment. Scenario-based exercises helped teams monitor threats and plan responses to natural disasters, service disruption and instability. Findings and capacity assessments informed UNDP’s future programming.

Original project profile
Crisis response operationsCrisis response operationsDisaster response workshopDisaster response workshop
Business incubator team discussion

ENTREPRENEURSHIP & EMPLOYMENT

Opening pathways to enterprise and employment

USAID Business Incubator and Employment Program

A program focused on increasing business and employment opportunities for minority communities in Ninewa.

400+ beneficiaries supported
Activities & achievements

Outreach, technical and soft-skills training, financial literacy, mentorship and market research helped participants pursue private sector opportunities. The incubator offered shared workspace and administrative support, pitching sessions, selective seed funding and networking. More than 400 private sector and NGO beneficiaries received support.

Original project profile
Business incubator seminarBusiness incubator seminarBusiness incubator workshopBusiness incubator workshop
Xomali conference

CONVENING & MARKET INTRODUCTION

Conferences that connect decision-makers

Business Canvas, Project Bloom and Limak Port

Top Mountain has delivered business conferences, policy events and launches for companies, development partners and government since 2014.

3 annual Business Canvas events
Activities & achievements

Three annual Business Canvas events with GIZ and USAID created opportunities for networking and partnerships. The firm also organized the Bloom launch and Limak Port’s Iraq launch, bringing stakeholders together around investment, finance and infrastructure.

Original project profile
Agribusiness conference panelAgribusiness conference panelLimakPort eventLimakPort eventAgribusiness conferenceAgribusiness conference
Business advisory discussion

BUSINESS ADVISORY

Supporting market entry and operational performance

Local enterprises and international businesses

Practical advisory support helps organizations establish operations, understand markets and strengthen their commercial performance in Iraq.

Strategy through local execution
Activities & achievements

The work spans management consulting, process improvement, go-to-market planning, market research, analytics, branding and digital campaigns. Local delivery support includes company setup, procurement, supply chains, recruitment, payroll administration and guidance on the operating environment.

Original project profile
Business Canvas panel discussionBusiness Canvas panel discussionTrade and logisticsTrade and logisticsEnterprise advisory visitEnterprise advisory visit
Greenhouse production

AGRIBUSINESS & ADVOCACY

Building demand for locally produced food

Xomali buy-local campaign

A USAID-linked campaign encouraged consumers to support agricultural products made in the Kurdistan Region.

98% reported greater local-product awareness
Activities & achievements

Top Mountain developed local-product branding, digital campaigns, consumer workshops and producer showcases. In the USAID end-of-program survey, 98% of respondents said Xomali raised awareness of local products; 9 of 13 participating businesses reported increased demand.

Original project profile
Local market trade in KurdistanLocal market trade in KurdistanXomali buy-local outreachXomali buy-local outreach
Qudra entrepreneurship workshop

RESILIENCE & LIVELIHOODS

Skills for entrepreneurs and job seekers

GIZ Qudra Entrepreneurship Program

An incubator and training program supported Syrian refugees, internally displaced people and host communities.

100+ job seekers supported
Activities & achievements

Training and coaching covered business skills, graphic design, digital marketing, video editing, photography and event management. Career support helped more than 100 job seekers improve CVs and use online employment platforms. Communications campaigns connected communities with training and economic opportunities.

Original project profile
Market developmentMarket developmentBusiness skills trainingBusiness skills training
Public administration capacity building

GOVERNANCE & PUBLIC SERVICE

Strengthening institutional delivery

USAID / IGPA and Kurdistan Regional Government

Capacity building helped public institutions strengthen planning, budgeting, management, oversight and service delivery.

136 government and civil-society participants trained
Activities & achievements

Training reached the Ministry of Planning, Kurdistan Institute for Public Administration, Ministries of Electricity, Health and Municipalities, and local NGOs. Leadership, communications, gender equality and public relations were integrated with practical management and oversight skills.

Original project profile
Public administration trainingPublic administration trainingKIPA training participantsKIPA training participants

HOW WE WORK

Close to the context.
Committed to the outcome.

We work alongside your team to turn an informed plan into changes that hold up in practice.

Discuss your priorities

  1. Understand

    Listen to your team, assess the evidence and identify the constraints that matter most.

  2. Design

    Define priorities, responsibilities and measures of success that fit your resources and context.

  3. Deliver

    Bring advisory, coaching and delivery support together to help your team put the plan into practice.

  4. Strengthen

    Build the tools, skills and working habits that enable continued improvement.

Erbil city
Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

THE FIRM

Local knowledge.
International perspective.

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Erbil, Top Mountain combines Iraqi market knowledge with international experience in management consulting, investment and economic development.

We work across Federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, advising enterprises and delivering programs for public institutions and international development partners. Our sector experience spans agribusiness, manufacturing, services and renewable energy.

Our co-founders are directly involved in advisory and program delivery, supported by a local team and a network of international specialists. Clients benefit from senior attention, established relationships and continuity from strategy through implementation.

50% woman-ownedErbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

OUR LEADERSHIP

Experience that connects
strategy with delivery.

Local understanding.
International professional experience.

Zhala Sabir

Zhala Sabir

Co-founder & Managing Director

Economic development, diplomacy and stakeholder engagement.

Zhala advises on private sector growth and donor-funded development, combining program leadership with capacity building, strategic guidance and training. Her international experience spans communications, diplomacy and capital investment.

Experience & qualifications

She served as an Iraqi diplomat in Canada, directed Academic and Congressional Affairs at the KRG Office in Washington, DC, and advised the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations in Erbil. She holds a BSc and MSc in Public Health from King’s College London.

Miran Dizayee

Miran Dizayee

Co-founder & Director of Operations

Enterprise development, operations and program management.

Miran brings experience in consulting, project management, SME finance and mentoring. He served as Chief of Party for USAID’s Business Incubator and Accelerator Program and has consulted for the KRG Ministry of Natural Resources.

Experience & qualifications

His work includes oil and gas, infrastructure, economic development and crisis management, with project experience in Czechia, Germany, Slovakia, Turkey and Iraq. He speaks Kurdish, English, Arabic and Czech. An IVLP alumnus, he holds BSc and MSc degrees in Systems Engineering and Informatics and an MBA in Marketing from the University of New York.

Michael Rothe

Michael Rothe

Co-founder & Iraq Country Director

Strategy, economic reform and institutional effectiveness.

Michael has more than 20 years of experience as a management consultant and senior advisor to USAID and the U.S. Department of State, designing and leading economic development programs.

Experience & qualifications

His specialties include post-conflict stabilization, business strategy, process improvement, government capacity, regulatory reform and investment promotion. He has advised government and private sector clients across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and holds an MBA from Georgetown University.

Discuss your next project in Iraq.

Whether you are entering a market, growing a business or delivering a development program, we can help define the assignment and bring the right expertise to it.

Contact Top Mountain

LET’S WORK TOGETHER

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