On 25 May 2023, United Nations Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres, the World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Cindy McCain and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Director General Qu Dongyu announced their appointment of Carl Skau of Sweden as WFP Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, to serve at the Assistant Secretary-General level.
Mr.聽Skau brings over 20聽years of experience working in diplomacy, humanitarian affairs, peacebuilding and development across regions.聽 He is a recognized leader with a strong track record in forging multilateral partnerships, mobilizing resources, international negotiations, strategic communication and managing diverse teams.聽 He headed the Department for Multilateral Partnerships at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, leading Sweden鈥檚 response to humanitarian crises across the world and the COVID-19 pandemic.聽 Prior to this role, he served as Ambassador and Deputy Representative to the United Nations in New York and as Deputy Representative to the European Union Political and Security Committee in Brussels, in addition to previous postings for the European Union and the United Nations in Africa and in Latin America.
Mr.聽Skau holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in social science, and a master鈥檚 degree in political science, both from Lund University, Sweden.聽He is fluent in English and Spanish and has moderate knowledge of French.
