Our Executive Board page

As Director-General, Mr. Sørensen mobilized European humanitarian response in places like Syria, Nepal, Myanmar, South Sudan, DRC, the CAR, Haiti, and Colombia as well as targeting pandemics such as Ebola and SARS. Claus Sørensen was involved in response to drought and famine in the Horn and the Sahel. He developed the financial tool for assistance to frontline EU states faced with massive migration and assisted UN OCHA and the WHO in improving their disaster response. Through the Transformative Agenda, Claus Sørensen helped to pave the way for the Grand Bargain in particular its focus on effectiveness and local ownership.

Presently a Board member at the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Dubai International Humanitarian and Development forum, the Institut Bioforce in Lyon, and Chair of the GELI Executive Board, Claus is engaged in improving humanitarian response.

Abby Maxman joined Oxfam America as president and CEO in 2017. With more than 30 years of experience in international humanitarian relief and development, she brings a strategic focus on addressing the policies and systems that perpetuate global poverty. Maxman has particular experience in gender and power in social change; humanitarian preparedness and response; and organizational development, behavior, and culture. Throughout her career, she has also focused on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse within the aid sector and currently plays an important role within the Oxfam Confederation and among US-based NGOs to improve safeguarding practices.

Prior to joining Oxfam, Maxman served as Deputy Secretary-General of CARE International in Geneva, providing leadership across the CARE confederation. She previously served as Vice President of International Programs and Operations for CAREUSA, and in other country and regional leadership roles in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.

Alain Noudéhou is currently the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator, and Humanitarian Coordinator (DSRSG/RC/HC) in Mali.

He has extensive experience in international development and humanitarian affairs, most recently serving as DSRSG/RC/HC in South Sudan. Earlier appointments included Chief of Staff of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in New York (2016-2017), Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the People’s Republic of China (2014-2016), and Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Zimbabwe (2010-2014). From 2007 to 2010 he was Country Director for UNDP in Tanzania and Deputy UNDP Representative in Rwanda from 2004 to 2007.

Before joining the United Nations, Alain Noudéhou worked in senior positions from 1996 to 2002 for the then CHF International Inc., an international non-governmental organization, currently named Global Communities, Partners for Good.

Andrew Kirkwood is the Director of the Geneva Office of UNOPS. Prior to his current role he has been the Director and Representative for UNOPS in Myanmar since 2017. He is a Canadian with a background as a professional engineer and development planner. He has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of infrastructure, rural development and programme management in Africa and in Asia.

Mr. Kirkwood has worked with the United Nations, NGOs, and the private sector. He joined UNOPS in 2011 as the Fund Director for the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT), which is now serving nearly half of the rural population of Myanmar.

Before joining UNOPS, Mr. Kirkwood worked for Save the Children in country leadership positions in Myanmar (2004-2011) and Ethiopia (2000-2002). He has also worked in Burkina Faso, Mali, Angola and in the Great Lakes region of central Africa.

Bintou Keita currently serves as Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She brings over 30 years of experience in peace, security, development, humanitarian and human rights to her current position.

She joined the United Nations in 1989 and has served the organization in several capacities including as the Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Deputy Joint Special Representative for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur as well as Deputy Executive Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi.

David Miliband is the President & CEO of the International Rescue Committee. He previously served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for the United Kingdom. In 2006, as Secretary of State for the Environment, he pioneered the world’s first legally binding emissions reduction requirements. He was Member of Parliament for South Shields from 2001 to 2013.
 
David Miliband graduated from Oxford University in 1987 with a first class honors degree in philosophy, politics and economics, and received a master’s degree in political science in 1989 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which he attended as a Kennedy Scholar.
 

Hannan Sulieman was appointed Assistant Secretary-General and UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Management, on 6 August 2020. 

Ms. Sulieman’s career with UNICEF spans over 27 years, serving since February 2019 as Acting Deputy Executive Director, Management, where her expertise in management, operations, and policy have ensured optimal performance of several UNICEF divisions.  She previously served as Chief of Staff and Director of the Office of the Executive Director (2016-2019).

Prior to her roles in UNICEF Headquarters, Ms. Sulieman served in UNICEF regional and country offices, notably as Deputy Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa, where she contributed to UNICEF’s regional and global policies and strategies and provided programme and operational support to Country Offices in the region.  She also held Deputy Representative positions in Egypt and Somalia where she provided direction for programme planning and implementation to achieve country programme objectives.  In that capacity, she oversaw UNICEF’s programme response to the Somalia famine in 2011.

Ms. Sulieman previously served in the office of Relief, Recovery and Reconstruction of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and started her career in her home country, Sudan, in the areas of gender and education.

She earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix in 2003 and completed her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Adrian College in 1991.

Ms. Sulieman is a dual national of Sudan and the United Kingdom. She is fluent in English and Arabic.

Ingrid Macdonald assumed the position of UN Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina in April 2020. She most recently worked at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as Deputy Director for Operations and Advocacy overseeing the Asia Pacific region. At OCHA, she was also head of the Ukraine office and a Director with the Peer-2-Peer Support Project supporting Humanitarian Coordinators and country teams to strengthen their collective delivery of the humanitarian response.

Prior to joining the United Nations, she served in leadership positions with international non-profits, the private sector, and the government for 19 years. She worked for the Norwegian Refugee Council as a Representative in Geneva and held positions in Afghanistan, Norway, and Pakistan. She also worked with Oxfam in Australia, Sudan, and throughout the Asia Pacific region; served as Deputy Director with the New Zealand Defence Force; and worked as a management consultant in Australia.

Jagan Chapagain is the Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General of the IFRC. He was appointed by the IFRC Governing Board in February 2020 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Jagan has extensive experience in leading effective and principled humanitarian response around the world and has dedicated his life to helping empower local communities.

He brings decades of experience in building and leading inclusive teams and forging trustful partnerships to address global challenges, ranging from climate to health, and from migration to protection, gender, and inclusion. He has also championed policies and programmes that promote youth engagement and volunteering, and that strengthen localization and accountability in humanitarian action.

He began his humanitarian journey as a youth volunteer with the Nepal Red Cross and has extensive experience in, and broad knowledge of, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Prior to being appointed Secretary General, he served as Under Secretary General for Programmes and Operations at the IFRC. He was also previously Chief of Staff and Regional Director for Asia Pacific, where he provided leadership during large-scale humanitarian crises and built resilient communities alongside National Societies and other partners.

An engineer by training, Jagan holds certificates in Leadership and Turnaround Management, Emerging Social Sector Leadership, and High Performance Boards.

Dr Jamie Munn officially joined ICVA as the Executive Director on 1 November 2023.

Dr Munn brings a wealth of experience and expertise to ICVA. With over 16 years of experience in aid programming, strategic development, NGO coordination, and policy formation, he is well-equipped to lead ICVA forward. He has held various roles across NGOs and the United Nations, working at head office, regional and country levels. His career has een marked by a strong belief in the pivotal role NGOs play in finding solutions to global challenges. Dr Munn has also made significant contributions to research, focussing on gendered identities in conflict zones, aid accountability and transparency, and post-conflict nationalism.

At ICVA, Dr Munn will bring his expertise in strategic leadership, innovation, effective advocacy, and a steadfast focus on transparency, accountability, and coordination. His forward-thinking approach and commitment to driving positive change in the humanitarian sector align perfectly with the mission of ICVA.

Jan Egeland has been Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) since August 2013. In June 2021, he was appointed Eminent Person of The Grand Bargain initiative. Within this role he is responsible for promoting and advocating for the advancement of The Grand Bargain’s commitments to better serve people in need. From January to May 2021, Egeland was appointed by UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, as Chair of the Independent Senior Advisory Panel on humanitarian deconfliction in Syria. In 2015 to end 2018, he was Special Advisor to the UN mediation efforts in Syria and chaired the 23-nation humanitarian task force for the protection of and access to Syrian civilians. 

Jan Egeland served as UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator during 2003-2006, where he spearheaded a reform of the global humanitarian system. He has been Europe Director of Human Rights Watch (2011−13), Executive Director of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (2007−11), was Secretary General of the Norwegian Red Cross (2002-03) and served as the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser for Colombia (1999−2001). From 1990 to 1997, he was State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he co-organized the Norwegian Channel that led to the Oslo Agreement between Israel and the PLO (1993) as well as peace agreements in Guatemala (1996) and elsewhere.

Julien joined InterAction as the Director of Humanitarian Practice in April of 2012, before being promoted to Senior Director in 2019, and Vice President of Humanitarian Policy and Practice in July 2020. Julien represents InterAction in different global forums focused on the humanitarian system and its governance. His ultimate goal is to ensure that field realities are better understood in order to inform conversations and decisions made by policymakers and institutions.

Before joining InterAction, Julien worked as a Senior Policy Officer for the International Council of Voluntary Agencies, focusing on Forced Displacement issues. As such, he was the primary NGO focal point at the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Julien has substantial field experience managing humanitarian operations, primarily for the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Over the years, he has worked as IRC country director in Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, and Uganda, also serving the agency in Congo-Brazzaville, Sudan, and Chad.

Julien holds an M.A. in literature from Paris X University.