Secretary-General Appoints Justin Forsyth of United Kingdom Deputy Executive Director of United Nations Children’s Fund

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Justin Forsyth, a British national, as Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

He will succeed Johanna (Yoka) Brandt, who has been appointed Secretary-General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and whom the Secretary-General would like to thank for her exceptional service and commitment to UNICEF.

Mr. Forsyth is an experienced global leader with a strong track record of turning ambitious strategic visions into real change for children.  He has led transformative change and pioneered new communications, fundraising and advocacy campaigns that have built unusual coalitions for change with the private sector, non-governmental organizations, popular culture, the United Nations and national Governments.

Since 2010, Mr. Forsyth has served as Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children in the United Kingdom.  Between 2004 and 2010, as Special Adviser to [Prime Ministers] Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, he helped shape global efforts on development, climate change and humanitarian policies, including leading successful efforts around the G-8 and the G-20.  Prior to that, he had a distinguished career with Oxfam from 1989 to 2004.

Mr. Forsyth holds a bachelor’s degree in history and politics from Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom.