Biographical Note

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS CHOI SOON-HONG OF REPUBLIC OF KOREA AS CHIEF

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Choi Soon-hong of the Republic of Korea as Chief Information Technology Officer, Assistant Secretary-General.  In this position, Mr. Choi will be responsible for all substantive and operational needs relating to information and communications technology of the United Nations.  This will involve developing, maintaining and monitoring the implementation of an effective information and communications technology strategy.

Mr. Choi has 30 years of technical and management experience in the public and private sectors.  He served as Head of Information Technology Services at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2004 to February 2007.  Since 2005, he has been the IMF representative to the Information and Communications Technology Network of the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination, and a member of the United Nations International Computing Centre’s Management Committee.

At IMF, Mr. Choi served as Senior Budget Manager and Strategy Adviser from 1999 to 2004 and as Division Chief of Technology Infrastructure from 1997 to 1999.  He served in a variety of technical and business operations, and team leadership positions from 1981 to 1997.  Prior to joining IMF, Mr. Choi served as Information Systems Analyst at TRW, Inc., from 1980 to 1981, and Quality Assurance Manager at Systems Automation Corporation from 1977 to 1979.

Mr. Choi received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Sogang University, a master’s degree in computer science from George Washington University, an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in strategic management and public policy from George Washington University.

Mr. Choi has lectured and researched in the fields of public policy, strategic management and innovation.  He has presented his work in a number of major international conferences.  His recent research interests include globalization, technology competition, digital society, knowledge sharing and information and communications technology for development.

Born in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in 1950, he is married and has a son and a daughter.

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For information media • not an official record