Valerie Newsom Guarnieri is WFP’s Assistant Executive Director for Programme Operations.Ìý In this role, she leads work across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus to provide food, cash and technical assistance that helps people and nations to meet urgent needs, build human capital and improve food security.Ìý Global partnerships to empower women, support refugees and displaced populations, combat malnutrition and ensure that all hungry children benefit from a nutritious meal in school also fall under her leadership.
Prior to her appointment in January 2018, Ms. Guarnieri served as WFP Regional Director for East and Central Africa providing supervision, strategic guidance and support for some of WFP’s largest and most complex country operations.Ìý She also served as WFP’s global Programme Director, and in a variety of country office, regional and headquarter positions since August 2000.Ìý Before WFP, she worked in the U.S. Government, at the National Security Council and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), as part of dedicated, inter-disciplinary teams to save lives and help create conditions for sustainable peace, with particular focus in Africa.
Ms. Guarnieri holds a Master of Arts from the School of International Service of American University in Washington, D.C.Ìý She is married and has three children.
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