Biography: Ms Sanda Ojiambo was appointed Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Global Compact by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in April 2022. She has held the position of CEO & Executive Director of the UN Global Compact since June 2020. Ojiambo has led the organization through transformative times, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she launched a new strategy to enhance the global impact of businesses upholding the Ten Principles and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through accountable companies and supportive ecosystems.

Ojiambo’s leadership has been marked by her dedication to increasing business engagement with UN partners to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Under her guidance, the UN Global Compact has expanded significantly, with membership nearly doubling to over 20,000 companies. She has spearheaded the establishment of regional hubs in Abuja, Dubai, Panama City, and Bangkok, bringing the UN Global Compact closer to businesses worldwide.

Her career spans more than 20 years across public, multilateral, and private sectors. She has a profound understanding of the intersection between business and development, having worked on numerous public-private partnership initiatives and cultivated relationships with key business entities and civil society organizations.

Ojiambo’s academic background includes a Master of Arts in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota, USA, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Development from McGill University, Canada. Her diverse experiences and strong educational foundation have positioned her as a pivotal figure in promoting sustainable business practices on a global scale.

The UN Global Compact, under her leadership, remains the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, with more than 23,000 participating companies and a presence in over 100 countries through 5 Regional Hubs and more than 70 Country Networks. The initiative continues to drive businesses to integrate the Ten Principles in human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption into their core strategies, thus fostering a more sustainable and inclusive global economy.