UNICEF protects and defends the rights of every child. UNICEF has a presence in 192 countries and territories across the world. 

Non Profit

UNICEF

Robert Jenkins, Global Director of Education for [UNICEF](/org/unicef), joined the organization in 1995. He brings over 20 years of experience in international development and humanitarian programming in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Jenkins served as the [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Representative, Jordan, from 2014-2019, and Deputy Director, Division of Policy and Strategy in [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Headquarters from 2009-2014.

From 1995-2009, Robert Jenkins served with [UNICEF](/org/unicef) in programme and management positions in Uganda (1995-1997), Bangladesh (1997-2000), Myanmar (2000-2003), India (2003-2006) and Mozambique (2006-2009).

Mr. Jenkins earned a Doctor of Education Degree from the [University of Bath](/org/university-of-bath) and a Master’s Degree from the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom.

Robert Jenkins

Mark Beatty is the Director of [UNICEF](/org/unicef)'s Global Shared Services Centre. Mark has been with [UNICEF](/org/unicef) since January 2014, and in their current role, they are responsible for leading the organization's largest organizational change in its over 70-year history.

Prior to their current role, Mr. Beatty was the Project Director for the Global Shared Services Center Implementation. In this role, they developed the business case for the establishment of the center, engaged senior executive and global management teams, staff associations and all stake holders to obtain executive director decision to establish a global shared services center through large scale global business transformation to drive greater effectiveness and efficiency in use of [UNICEF](/org/unicef)'s budget of over 5 billion dollars. Mark also provided strategic leadership for the implementation of the center, leading a team of 15 million to design shared services center, secure budget, select country location, and conduct negotiations with host government.

Mr. Beatty has a long history of working in organizational change management and communications. Mark has led visioning, strategic planning, organizational design, staff resizing, and HR impact mitigation strategy projects for a variety of organizations. Mark is a strategic thinker and an expert in their field, and they have been able to successfully navigate the complexities of large-scale change management initiatives.

Mark Beatty's educational career includes a Executive Seminar Series from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the field of E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce, an MBA from the [University of Ottawa](/org/university-of-ottawa) in the field of International Business, and a B. A. Sc. from the University of Toronto in the field of Industrial Engineering.

Their manager is Catherine Russell, Executive Director. They work with June Kunugi - Director, Public Partnerships Division, Cornelius Williams - Director, Child Protection - Programme Group, and Afshan Khan - Director, Regional Office Europe and Central Asia Special Coordinator, Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe.

Mark Beatty

Thomas Asare is currently the Controller and Director of the Division of Financial and Administrative Management at [UNICEF](/org/unicef). Prior to this, they served as the Financial Controller and Director of Programming, Budgeting, Finance and Accounting at the African Union Commission (AUC) from March 2012 to February 2015. In this role, they provided strategic financial leadership to help the AU meet its financial goals and objectives. Thomas also served as the Head of Internal Audit for The African Capacity Building Foundation from April 2010 to February 2011, where they were responsible for the strategic direction and management of the Internal Audit department.

They are on a team with June Kunugi - Director, Public Partnerships Division, Gunilla Olsson - Director, [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Office of Research-Innocenti, and Cornelius Williams - Director, Child Protection - Programme Group. Thomas Asare reports to Catherine Russell, Executive Director.

Thomas Asare

Daniel Couture is the Chief Information Officer, Information and Communication Technology for Development, Director's Office at [UNICEF](/org/unicef). Daniel has over 25 years of experience in the IT industry, including 10 years in leadership positions. 

Couture began their career as a software engineer and quickly rose through the ranks to become a vice president and chief information officer at [Zoetis](/org/zoetis), a global animal health company. At [Zoetis](/org/zoetis), they were responsible for building the IT function and leading a global team of 220 associates. Daniel implemented global systems and met [Zoetis](/org/zoetis) business objectives. 

Some of their notable accomplishments at [Zoetis](/org/zoetis) include leading the planning and implementation of an SAP-based ERP system, driving the planning, development, and deployment of enterprise-wide technology platforms and applications, delivering global and scalable IT infrastructure across 250 locations, and designing and building a business-focused organization to deliver, manage, and support all Technology functions. 

Couture has been recognized for their work in the IT industry and was recently named one of the Top 100 CIOs in the World by IDG’s CIO magazine.

Daniel Couture has an MBA from [Concordia University](/org/concordia-university) and a BSc in Computer Science and Operational Research from [Université de Montréal](/org/universite-de-montreal). Daniel also completed the [Pfizer](/org/pfizer) Leadership Development Program at [Harvard Business School](/org/harvard-business-school).

They are on a team with Debora Comini - Director, Regional Office for East Asia & the Pacific, Carla Haddad Mardini - Director, Private Fundraising & Partnerships Division, and Jean Gough - Director, Regional Office Latin America and the Caribbean. Daniel Couture reports to Catherine Russell, Executive Director.

Daniel Couture

Chewe Luo is the current Associate Director of HIV/AIDS for the Programme Group at [UNICEF](/org/unicef). Luo's work with [UNICEF](/org/unicef) has spanned over two decades and has taken their all over the world.

Luo began their career in 1994 as a Senior House Officer/Registrar for the UK National Health Service. Chewe worked in various hospitals in Liverpool before moving to the [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office in 2002. As Regional Adviser for PMTCT/HIV, Luo was responsible for providing policy and strategy guidance for [UNICEF](/org/unicef) country offices in 24 different countries. In 2004, they established the Africa-wide Regional PMTCT interagency task team (IATT), which has been instrumental in coordinating strategy and capacity development for partners and national governments around the world.

Luo's passion for their work is evident in their dedication to improving the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS. Her extensive experience in both developed and developing countries has made their a valuable asset to [UNICEF](/org/unicef) and the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Chewwe Luo has a Ph.D. in Tropical Child Health and Epidemiology from the [University of Liverpool](/org/university-of-liverpool), a Master of Science in Tropical Paediatrics and Child Health from the [University of Liverpool](/org/university-of-liverpool), a Master of Medicine in Paediatrics from the University of Zambia, a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology from the University of Zambia, an MBChB from Universit, and a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Zambia.

Chewe Luo reports to Catherine Russell, Executive Director. Some of their coworkers include June Kunugi - Director, Public Partnerships Division, George Laryea-Adjei - Director, Evaluation Office, and Natalia Winder-Rossi - Director, Social Policy & Social Protection Programme.

Chewe Luo

Lauren Rumble is the current Associate Director for Gender Equality in the Programme Division at [UNICEF](/org/unicef). Lauren has been with [UNICEF](/org/unicef) since May of 2009 and has held the position of Chief of Child Protection since November of 2013. Lauren is a highly experienced and respected international development professional with a wealth of experience in child protection, gender equality, and human rights.

Lauren Rumble has a Master of Philosophy from the [University of Cambridge](/org/university-of-cambridge) in International Relations and Affairs. Lauren also has a Doctor of Philosophy from QUT (Queensland University of Technology) in Public Health. Lauren's Bachelor's Degree is in Economics, Law, and Psychology from the [University of Cape Town](/org/university-of-cape-town).

They are on a team with Mark Hereward - Chief Data Officer, Associate Director, Division of Data, Analysis, Planning and Monitoring, George Laryea-Adjei - Director, Evaluation Office, and Jean Gough - Director, Regional Office Latin America and the Caribbean. Lauren Rumble reports to Catherine Russell, Executive Director.

Lauren Rumble

Etleva Kadilli has spent their career working for [UNICEF](/org/unicef) in a variety of operations and supply management roles. Etleva began their work with [UNICEF](/org/unicef) in Albania in 1996, serving as an Operations Manager. In 2000, they were transferred to Somalia to serve as an HR Manager. In 2003, they were transferred again, this time to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they served as an Operations Manager until 2006. In 2008, they were transferred to The Gambia, where they served as an Operations Manager until 2011. In August 2011, they were transferred to Copenhagen, Denmark to serve as Chief Contracting Officer. Etleva served in that role until August 2016, when they were promoted to Director of the Supply Division at [UNICEF](/org/unicef).

Etleva Kadilli has a MBA from Harvard Business School Executive Education and their field of study was Business Administration and Management, General. Etleva also has two certifications from [LinkedIn](/org/linkedin), one in Becoming a Thought Leader and the other in Building Trust.

Etleva Kadilli reports to Catherine Russell, Executive Director. Etleva Kadilli works with Mark Hereward - Chief Data Officer, Associate Director, Division of Data, Analysis, Planning and Monitoring, Fayaz King - Deputy Executive Director of Field Results and Innovation, and George Laryea-Adjei - Director, Evaluation Office.

Etleva Kadilli

Afshan Khan is the Director, Regional Office Europe and Central Asia Special Coordinator, Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe at [UNICEF](/org/unicef). Afshan has previously worked as the Director of Emergency Programs (EMOPS) and the Director of Resource Mobilization. In their current position, they are responsible for leading strategic planning and inter-agency initiatives for [UNICEF](/org/unicef)'s humanitarian action. Afshan also represents [UNICEF](/org/unicef) on humanitarian issues with donors and other partners.

Afshan Khan has a Master's degree in Public Policy Analysis from The Johns Hopkins University and Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science and Government from [McGill University](/org/mcgill-university).

Afshan Khan reports to Catherine Russell, Executive Director. Afshan Khan works with Mark Hereward - Chief Data Officer, Associate Director, Division of Data, Analysis, Planning and Monitoring, Karin Hulshof - Deputy Executive Director of Partnerships, and Omar Abdi - Deputy Executive Director, Programmes.

Afshan Khan

Hannan Sulieman was appointed Assistant Secretary-General and [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Deputy Executive Director, Management, on 6 August 2020.  

Ms. Sulieman’s career with [UNICEF](/org/unicef) spans over 27 years, serving since February 2019 as Acting Deputy Executive Director, Management, where her expertise in management, operations, and policy have ensured optimal performance of several [UNICEF](/org/unicef) divisions.  She previously served as Chief of Staff and Director of the Office of the Executive Director (2016-2019). 

Prior to her roles in [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Headquarters, Ms. Sulieman served in [UNICEF](/org/unicef) regional and country offices, notably as Deputy Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa, where she contributed to [UNICEF](/org/unicef)’s regional and global policies and strategies and provided programme and operational support to Country Offices in the region.  She also held Deputy Representative positions in Egypt and Somalia where she provided direction for programme planning and implementation to achieve country programme objectives.  In that capacity, she oversaw [UNICEF](/org/unicef)’s programme response to the Somalia famine in 2011. 

Ms. Sulieman previously served in the office of Relief, Recovery and Reconstruction of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and started her career in her home country, Sudan, in the areas of gender and education. 

She earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from the [University of Phoenix](/org/university-of-phoenix-inc) in 2003 and completed her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from [Adrian College](/org/adrian-college) in 1991. 

Ms. Sulieman is a dual national of Sudan and the United Kingdom. She is fluent in English and Arabic. 



Hannan Sulieman

June Kunugi became the Director of [UNICEF](/org/unicef)’s Public Partnerships Division in April 2021. She oversees the organization’s resource mobilization from the public sector, its engagement with permanent missions and governments on multilateral affairs in the inter-governmental space, and its UN partnerships. Ms. Kunugi has worked in [UNICEF](/org/unicef) for over 29 years at country and headquarters levels. 

From September 2017 to April 2021, Ms. Kunugi served as the [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Representative in Myanmar, where she oversaw child rights-based development programs, humanitarian response, advocacy, partnerships, and operations, and over 220 staff in 9 offices across the country.

Prior to that, she headed [UNICEF](/org/unicef) country and area offices in the State of Palestine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Ms. Kunugi has served three times in [UNICEF](/org/unicef)’s New York Headquarters - in the Division of Public Affairs, the Office of the Executive Director, and as Deputy Director and then acting Director of [UNICEF](/org/unicef)’s Public-Sector Alliances and Resource Mobilization. She was also the Director of [UNICEF](/org/unicef)’s Tokyo office, overseeing public sector partnerships and resource mobilization in Japan and the Republic of Korea. 

She started her career in [UNICEF](/org/unicef) working in Communications, including in Viet Nam as a Junior Professional Officer sponsored by the Government of Japan, and later in Bangladesh, first as Communications officer, then as Chief of the section.

Ms. Kunugi is a national of Japan.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) degree with a double major in East Asian Studies and Romance Languages and Literatures from [Wesleyan University](/org/wesleyan-university) in the United States, and a Master of Science in Journalism from [Columbia University](/org/columbia-university).

June Kunugi

Mr. Sanjay Wijesekera became Director of Programme Division at [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Headquarters in New York in January 2020.

Before taking up this role, Mr. Wijesekera was [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Representative in South Africa and prior to that he was Chief of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Section and Associate Director of Programmes in New York. 

Before joining [UNICEF](/org/unicef), from 2005 to 2011, Mr. Wijesekera worked at the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), where he was responsible for managing overall policy and global programmes related to achieving the water and sanitation Millennium Development Goals. He also worked for DFID in Ghana as an infrastructure adviser, where he helped coordinate a joint assistance strategy for the donor community and was the lead donor representative for the water sector. 

Between 2003 and 2005, Mr. Wijesekera worked for [UNICEF](/org/unicef) as a water and sanitation adviser in Nigeria. From 2000 to 2002, he worked for the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry in South Africa, supporting newly formed local governments to take on the responsibility for delivering water and sanitation services, and helping to regulate public and private sector service providers. He also worked on emergency programmes in Rwanda for [Oxfam](/org/oxfam) in 1994 and for [UNICEF](/org/unicef), supporting post-tsunami reconstruction in Sri Lanka in 2005. 

Mr. Wijesekera is a national of Sri Lanka. He is a Chartered civil engineer and holds a Master’s degree in Water and Environmental Management from the University of Loughborough, UK.

Sanjay Wijesekera

Dr. Carlos Navarro (MD, MSc, PhD) is the Associate Director for Public Health Emergencies for [UNICEF](/org/unicef). As the global lead for public health emergencies preparedness and response in [UNICEF](/org/unicef) he is guided by a strong believe on the central role of equity and the need for a whole-of-society approach to prepare and respond to health emergencies and their impact on children, families and communities.

Dr. Navarro has previously worked at CDC as an emergency epidemiologist (2010-2017), as an independent consultant on health and nutrition in emergencies (2005 -2010), and in a number of field assignments and coordination positions for ACF and MSF (1994-2004). He has completed dozens of field emergency and outbreak assignments in field and leadership positions. His research work in emergency response has focused on outbreak response and on the treatment and prevention of acute malnutrition. He has been involved in the design and implementation of operational research and response in health emergencies settings since 1994, obtaining MSc in Tropical Medicine (Universidad de Barcelona), Epidemiology (LSHTM) and a PhD (Aberdeen University).

Carlos Navarro

Vidhya R Ganesh was appointed the Global Director of the Division of Data Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM) for UNICEF in August 2019. In this capacity, she leads corporate strategic planning, enables effective decision making, and provides leadership for data governance as well as the collection, analysis, communication and use of data and statistics for policy, advocacy and programmes as well for child rights and Sustainable Development Goal monitoring. 

With over 25 years of experience in public health, evidence-based policy and programming, Ms. Ganesh has held several positions in UNICEF, including Deputy Director for Programme Division in NYHQ, Country Representative in Botswana, Deputy Representative in Afghanistan and Sierra Leone as well as Chief of HIV/AIDS in India.

Prior to joining UNICEF, she worked in the Department of International Development in India, WHO in South-East Asia and UNAIDS in South Asia on several public health programmes including HIV/AIDS, Polio and Immunization.

Ms. Ganesh is a national of India. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Pace University, New York City, USA and a Master’s degree in Public Health (Tropical Medicine/Epidemiology) from Columbia University, New York City, USA.

Vidhya Ganesh

Adele Khodr

Melissa Bullen was appointed in August 2021 as the General Counsel and Director of the Legal Office, where she oversees teams responsible for global legal advisory services on a wide range of complex and strategic issues in relation to [UNICEF](/org/unicef) operations in Headquarters, Regional Offices, Country and Field Offices.

Before joining [UNICEF](/org/unicef), Ms. Bullen was the General Counsel of [UN Women](/org/un-women), where she was instrumental in establishing and leading the global legal department and served as a principal advisor to executive leadership on a range of legal, strategic, and business issues. In her previous roles, Melissa worked at the United Nations Secretariat as a legal officer, in private practice for a global law firm, as a legal adviser for the British and Australian governments, and in the federal judiciary. She has also consulted for global non-profits.

Ms. Bullen is a national of Australia and the United Kingdom. She holds a Master’s degree in international law.

Melissa Bullen

Mark Hereward is [UNICEF](/org/unicef)’s first Chief Data Officer, appointed in January 2022 in [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Headquarters to pave the organization’s path as a leader on data for children. He continues to also hold the role of Associate Director of Data and Analytics at [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Headquarters. As Chief Data Officer, Mr. Hereward guides the uptake of innovative approaches to data work including machine learning, frontier data and predictive analysis. He drives coherence and collaboration in the organization across the evidence function while ensuring the protection of children through the governance of data and supporting an organization-wide culture of smart data supply and use.

Since 1995, Mr. Hereward has served [UNICEF](/org/unicef) in various capacities, including as Deputy Regional Director for [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Eastern and Southern Africa and [UNICEF](/org/unicef) Representative in Azerbaijan. In his previous role, he provided leadership and technical guidance to a team which collects, assesses, analyses, stores and makes public data and statistics about the situation of children and women.

Mr. Hereward has a bachelor’s degree in Chinese and Economics and a master’s degree in Medical Demography from the [University of London](/org/university-of-london), UK. He also has a master’s degree in Demography and a Ph.D. in Demography from the [University of Pennsylvania](/org/university-of-pennsylvania), USA.

Mark Hereward

Karin Hulshof assumed the position of UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships, ad interim, on 10 December 2021. 

Ms. Hulshof has worked for UNICEF for more than 30 years. Prior to her current role, Ms. Hulshof served as UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific since June 2016 and was based in Bangkok, Thailand, where she was responsible for regional oversight and ensuring overall policy and programme coherence and advocacy for UNICEF.

Between 2012 and 2016, Ms. Hulshof was UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia. Prior to that, she served as UNICEF Representative to India; Director of UNICEF’s Public-sector Alliances and Resource Mobilization Office at UNICEF Headquarters in New York; and Chief of Staff to the Executive Director in New York.

Ms. Hulshof also held field positions in Romania, Moldova, Belgium, Brazil, Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Before joining UNICEF, Ms. Hulshof worked at the Council of Youth Affairs and Institute of Criminology in the Netherlands.

Ms. Hulshof graduated from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands with a Master of Arts in Social Science and specializations in Economics, Spanish, Cultural Anthropology and Education. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Senate of the University of Bucharest, Romania.

Karin Hulshof

Catherine M. Russell became UNICEF’s eighth Executive Director on 1 February 2022. 

Ms. Russell brings to the role decades of experience in developing innovative policy that empowers underserved communities around the world, including high-impact programmes that protect women and girls, including in humanitarian crises. She has extensive experience building, elevating and managing diverse workforces and mobilizing resources and political support for a broad range of initiatives.

From 2020 to 2022, Ms. Russell served in the US government as Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. She previously served from 2013 to 2017 as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues at the U.S. Department of State. In that post, she integrated women’s issues across all elements of U.S. foreign policy, represented the United States in more than 45 countries, and worked with foreign governments, multilateral organizations and civil society. She was the principal architect of the ground-breaking “U.S. Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls.”

Previously, Ms. Russell served as Deputy Assistant to the President at the White House under President Barack Obama, Senior Advisor on International Women’s Issues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Associate Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice, and Staff Director of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Before re-entering government service in 2020, she taught at the Harvard Kennedy School as an Institute of Politics Fellow. She also served as the board co-chair of the Women’s Foreign Policy Group, as a board member of Women for Women International, as a member of the Sesame Street Advisory Board, as a member of the non-profit organization, KIVA Advisory Council, and as a member of the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s Trust Women initiative.

Ms. Russell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, magna cum laude, from Boston College and a Juris Doctor degree from the George Washington University Law School.

Ms. Russell is the fourth woman to lead the 20,000-person-strong agency in its 75-year history.

Catherine Russell

Natalia Winder-Rossi became the Director of Social Policy and Social Protection at UNICEF Headquarters in New York in May 2020. Here she leads UNICEF’s social policy programming at the global level and oversees the organization’s work on child poverty, social protection, public finance management for children and local governance. As of 1 July 2020, the team also anchors UNICEF’s Global Lead on Urban.

Ms. Winder-Rossi brings more than 15 years of social policy and social protection experience in global and regional roles.

From 2015 to 2020, she led FAO’s Global Social Protection team in FAO, Rome, while acting as Senior Advisor for the Rural Poverty and Resilience and Humanitarian Action Strategic Programmes. 

Prior to joining FAO, Ms. Winder-Rossi was the Senior Social Protection Specialist at UNICEF’s Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa, leading the positioning of social protection as a priority for the region, providing technical guidance to 24 countries, and enhancing the work on HIV-sensitive social protection and resilience. She was also a Social Protection Officer in UNICEF Headquarters in New York, where she co-led the development of UNICEF’s first Social Protection Framework.

Before starting her career at the UN, she worked for the Inter-American Development Bank in education, indigenous peoples’ development and social protection, the Organization of American States, and other national development agencies.

Ms. Winder-Rossi is a national of Peru. She has a Master’s in Science in Foreign Service (International Development) from Georgetown University and a Master’s in Science in Social Policy (Research and Evaluation) from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Natalia Winder-Rossi

Dr. Aboubacar Kampo was appointed Director of Health Programmes at UNICEF Headquarters in New York on November 2020.

Prior to his appointment, Dr. Kampo served as UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan and Cote d’Ivoire and has held senior leadership positions across various International NGOs and UN Agencies over the last 14 years.

An expert in development aid and humanitarian assistance, Dr. Kampo has worked as a physician/surgeon in hospitals and clinics in rural and urban areas in Africa and Asia. In the recent tours as UNICEF Country Representative, he partnered with governments and industry leaders in taking innovative approaches to ensure access to education and health services for children in complex settings.

Dr. Kampo is a Medical Doctor and Public Health Specialist, passionate about using innovations to address real-life community challenges and bridge the gap between communities and stakeholders. He is a national of Mali.

Aboubacar Kampo

Dr. Lu Wei Pearson is the Associate Director of Maternal and Newborn Child Health at UNICEF in New York and has worked with the organization for over 20 years at HQ, regional and country levels. In 2013, Dr. Pearson received special recognition from Government of Ethiopia for contributions to strengthening primary health care.

An expert in strengthening primary health care with a focus on maternal, newborn and child health programmes, Dr. Pearson has worked in China, Pakistan, Nepal, Ethiopia, Hong Kong and United States with UN agencies, CSOs, and Academia.

A pediatrician by training, Dr. Pearson has additional masters degrees in biochemistry, virology and epidemiology and has contributed to over 15 publications /journal articles. Dr. Pearson speaks English and Chinese, and would welcome short conversations in Amharic, Hindi, Nepali and Urdu.

Lu Wei Pearson

Gunilla Olsson was appointed as the Director of the UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti in 2020. Prior to her current position she was serving in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General as Head of the Transition Team for the repositioning of the UN development system. Gunilla served as the UNICEF Representative in Indonesia from 2014 to 2017 and as UNICEF Director of Governance, United Nations and Multilateral Affairs from 2010 to 2014. In addition to her UNICEF experience, Gunilla has held several senior leadership positions over the course of her career and led many complex change processes, including as Executive Director of Change and Reform and Director of Policy at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), as Director and Deputy Head of the Department for Global Development and Head of Policy and Projects at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and in various capacities at other bilateral and multilateral agencies. Gunilla has more than 35 years of experience working on child rights, sustainable development, poverty and equity, in the field, at UN headquarters and in government. She holds a degree in Social Anthropology, Economic History and Political Science from the University of Stockholm and has completed specialized courses on leading change, including at Harvard Business School.

Gunilla Olsson

Stephen S. Zimmermann

Mohamed Moustapha Malick Fall

Kelly Ann Naylor

Carla Haddad Mardini

George Laryea-Adjei

Manuel Fontaine

Paloma Escudero was appointed Director of the Division of Global Communications and Advocacy at [UNICEF](/org/unicef) in April 2013.

Bringing her extensive experience and expertise in the areas of communications, fundraising, advocacy and brand management, she oversees [UNICEF](/org/unicef)'s global public outreach and communications as its senior communication official.

Prior to the appointment, Ms. Escudero had already been well known among the [UNICEF](/org/unicef) family as Executive Director of the Spanish National Committee. Under her management between 2007 and 2013, the Committee was transformed into a highly efficient organization ─ increasing its contribution to [UNICEF](/org/unicef) programmes in over 150 developing countries and contributing significantly to emergencies such as the Haiti earthquake in 2010.

Ms. Escudero started her professional career, which spans more than two decades, in 1989 at Procter & Gamble Spain, where she was the company’s Brand Manager overseeing the marketing teams responsible for the brand repositioning of products.

After a sabbatical year spent travelling around the world with her husband, and working as an aid worker in Guatemala, Ms. Escudero joined [Oxfam](/org/oxfam) in 1997. In 2000, she became the Director of the [Oxfam](/org/oxfam) International Advocacy Office for the European Union. First based in Spain and later in Brussels, she worked on issues such as overseas development aid, external debt, humanitarian law, international agriculture and trade, and climate change.

Escudero holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business Sciences from ICADE – Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid. She obtained an Erasmus grant to specialize in marketing at [ESSEC Business School](/org/essec-business-school) in Paris.

Paloma Escudero

Laurence Chandy

Víctor Aguayo

Omar Abdi

Debora Comini is the UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific, based in Bangkok, Thailand. Joining in November 2021, she is responsible for programme coherence and advocacy for UNICEF across the region. UNICEF has 14 country offices in the East Asia and the Pacific region: Cambodia, China, DPR Korea, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Viet Nam, Pacific Islands (based in Fiji), Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.

Ms. Comini started her UNICEF career in 1991 in UNICEF Headquarter, New York, and held several senior positions including UNICEF Representative in Indonesia, UNICEF Representative in Cambodia, UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for Latin America & Caribbean, UNICEF Representative in Nicaragua, UNICEF Representative in North Macedonia, UNICEF Representative in Venezuela, and Regional Chief of Planning for Latin America & Caribbean.  On secondment to the Resident Coordinator system, she also held the UNRC and UNDP Resident Representative position in Mongolia.

She holds a MA in Economics from Columbia University, New York, and a BSc in Economics from University College London. Ms. Comini is a national of Italy.

UNICEF

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