Sanda Ojiambo

Sanda Ojiambo is a Kenyan administrator who serves as the as assistant secretary-general of the United Nations Global Compact, effective April 2022. Before that, from 17 June 2020 until 22 April 2022, she served as executive director of the United Nations Global Compact, succeeding Lise Kingo of Denmark.

Background and education Ojiambo was born in Kenya and she attended local schools for her primary and secondary education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and International Development obtained from McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her degree of Master of Arts in Public Policy, was obtained from the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis.

Career In 1997, Ojiambo started working for CARE International in Somalia. From there she joined the United Nations Development Programme, also in Somalia. She spent a total of five years in Somalia, leading programmes in areas including education, safe motherhood, environmental conservation, governance and Landmines demining.

She then relocated to the Africa Regional Office of International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), located in Nairobi, Kenya. There, she provided technical advice for "service delivery, accreditation standards, financial management, governance and advocacy". Her service area covered 40 countries. She worked in that capacity for another five years.

Other considerations Before her appointment to head the UN Global Compact, Ojiambo sat on the board of directors for these companies:

Kenya Investment Authority, a parastatal Gender Violence Recovery Centre, an NGO that provides services to survivors of gender violence Global Development Incubator, an international social enterprise aiming to drive the adoption of technology for development Care Pay Limited, a health payments company