United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, announced today the appointment of Sonja Leighton-Kone of the United States of America as Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

Ms. Leighton-Kone has more than 30 years of experience in international development overseeing operations in complex environments, including emerging and fragile states.  Since 2018, she has held the role of Director of the Corporate Services Division at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya.  Additionally, in 2022 she assumed the role of Acting Deputy Executive Director and has led the organization’s strategic engagement with Member States, United Nations agencies and partners during the United Nations Environmental Assembly as well as overseeing global environmental financing mechanisms, resource mobilization, financial and human resource management. 

Ms. Leighton-Kone began her United Nations career with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan in 1999 and subsequently held a series of senior positions at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), including as Regional Chief of Operations in Jordan, Chief of Operations in Ethiopia, Senior Operations Officer in South Sudan, and Operations Officer in Myanmar.  During her 24 years in the United System system, she has participated in several management reforms.

Ms. Leighton-Kone holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Fordham Graduate Business School, USA and a Bachelor’s in Management Science from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica.