Sanda Ojiambo, a Kenyan who has been working with Kenya’s telco giant, Safaricom has been appointed the new Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact.
Her appointment by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres came on Friday.
UN Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world.
Ojiambo has worked with Safaricom since 2008 after 11 years of working with non-governmental organizations and the UN at some point.
Until her appointment, she has been working as Safaricom’s head of sustainable business and social impact.
Her department draws and implements the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with Safaricom’s mission.
She will be Kenya’s first woman to hold the post at the UN global agency.
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.
Congratulations to @SandaOjiambo our Head of Sustainable Business and Social Impact. We are sad to see you go, but have every confidence that you will excel in your new role,” Safaricom PLC congratulated Ojiambo.
She will take over from Denmark’s Lise Kingo on June 17, 2020, after her 15-year stint at the agency.
“Ms. Ojiambo, who assumes the role on 17 June 2020, will bring 20 years of experience to lead the UN 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),” the agency said in a statement on Friday.
Kingo described Ojiambo as a strong leader who can steer forward the agency to greater heights even after her exit.
“I am happy to hand over the baton to such a strong woman leader from the Global South to take the UN Global Compact into its next chapter. I have immense confidence that Sanda’s global experience, deep integrity, and inspiring vision will advance the impact of the UN Global Compact and accelerate our efforts to mobilize a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders to create the world we want,” Kingo stated.
United Nations Global Compact established in 2000 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 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
