United Nations Headquarters – António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has announced the appointment of Sonja Leighton-Kone from the United States as the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), effective immediately.
With over three decades of experience in international development, Ms. Leighton-Kone has successfully overseen operations in complex environments, including emerging and fragile states. Notably, she has served as the Director of the Corporate Services Division at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya since 2018. In 2022, she also assumed the role of Acting Deputy Executive Director, where she led the organization’s strategic engagement with Member States, United Nations agencies, and partners during the United Nations Environmental Assembly. Additionally, she has been responsible for overseeing global environmental financing mechanisms, resource mobilization, as well as financial and human resource management.
Ms. Leighton-Kone’s journey within the United Nations began in 1999 when she joined the World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan. Throughout her career, she has held several senior positions at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), including Regional Chief of Operations in Jordan, Chief of Operations in Ethiopia, Senior Operations Officer in South Sudan, and Operations Officer in Myanmar. Her 24-year tenure within the United Nations system has provided her with valuable experience in management reforms and complex organizational dynamics.
Educationally, Ms. Leighton-Kone holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Fordham Graduate Business School in the United States and a Bachelor’s degree in Management Science from the University of the West Indies in Jamaica.
Deeply honoured to have been appointed by @UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres as Deputy Executive Director @UNOPS https://t.co/ouqbTUbTB7 pic.twitter.com/FnaBrz6DZ9
— Sonja Leighton-Kone (@KoneSonja) July 6, 2023
 as Deputy Executive Director of UNOPS, effective immediately.){kind=link}