United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Sanda Ojiambo of Kenya as Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact.  As the second woman to be appointed in the role, she will succeed Lise Kingo of Denmark to whom the Secretary‑General is deeply grateful for her dedication and strategic leadership in steering the work of the Global Compact and broadening its contribution to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Ms. Ojiambo, who assumes the role on 17 June, will bring 20 years of experience to lead the Global Compact in its next phase to mobilize a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders and bring the full weight of the private sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  She has served as Head of Sustainable Business and Social Impact, Safaricom Plc, Kenya since 2010 and was the Senior Manager of Safaricom and MPESA Foundations, Kenya from 2008 to 2010, during which she led the implementation of several public-private partnership initiatives between Safaricom and UN organizations.  Throughout her career, she has cultivated and managed relationships with key business entities and civil society organizations, including her capacity development work in Somalia with UNDP and CARE International.  Ms. Ojiambo holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota, USA, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Development from McGill University, Canada. 

Launched in July 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is the Secretary-General’s strategic policy and advocacy initiative calling for the alignment of business operations and strategies with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and motivates companies to integrate the SDGs into their core business strategy and operations.  With over 10,000 corporate participants and other stakeholders from over 160 countries engaged through 68 country networks, it is the largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative in the world.  Endorsed by chief executives, the Global Compact is a practical framework for the development, implementation, and disclosure of sustainability policies and practices, committing businesses to sustainability and shared responsibility for achieving a better world.