Kenyan-born Sanda Ojiambo has been appointed as Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Global Compact.
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said Ojiambo would run the post for two years.
In her role as Assistant Secretary-General, Ojiambo will be responsible for leading the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, building the strategic partnerships needed to drive impact and advocacy at local and global levels.
“Ms. Ojiambo brings over 20 years of experience to this position spanning the development, UN and private sectors,” reads the statement by Guterres.
She will advise the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General on the contributions of the private sector to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, on the engagement of the United Nations with business and on key organizational partnerships with the private sector.
She will also manage and coordinate the engagement of the UN Global Compact in United Nations inter-agency affairs, engaging with relevant multilateral and international organizations, alongside developing new, innovative partnerships with the private sector.
She served as the Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, leading the development and roll out of an ambitious new strategy to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business to uphold the Ten Principles of the Global Compact and deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Ojiambo joined the UN from Safaricom Plc in Kenya where she served as the Head of Sustainable Business and Social Impact, leading the implementation of several public-private partnership initiatives between Safaricom and UN organizations at both local and global levels.
Prior to this, Ms Ojiambo worked with IPPF Africa, UNDP Somalia and CARE Somalia leading public policy and capacity development work across multiple sectors. Throughout her career, she has cultivated and managed partnerships with key business entities, civil society organizations and philanthropies.
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.
