Secretary-General, Heads of United Nations Rome Agencies, Appoint Valerie Guarnieri of United States Assistant Executive Director, World Food Programme

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General José Graziano da Silva and World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley announced today their appointment of Valerie Guarnieri of the United States as Assistant Executive Director, Operations Services, of the WFP, at the Assistant Secretary-General level.

Ms. Guarnieri succeeds Ramiro Lopes da Silva of Portugal, to whom the Secretary-General, Director-General and Executive Director express their deep appreciation for his leadership of the Programme’s Operations Services over the last seven years, retiring after close to 33 years with WFP.  In a long and illustrious career with WFP, he has led and supported the responses to some of the largest humanitarian crises the world has had to face, saving countless lives.  The Secretary-General, Director-General and Executive Director wish him every success in his future endeavours.

Currently WFP Regional Director for East and Central Africa, Ms. Guarnieri brings to the position extensive experience in humanitarian and development operations.  Having served in senior positions in Zimbabwe, Philippines and Headquarters, she has led efforts to tackle some of the world’s most protracted and complex hunger challenges.  Previously, within the United States Government, she supported humanitarian and development actions, which saved lives and helped create conditions for sustainable peace, with particular focus in Africa.

Ms. Guarnieri holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications from George Mason University in the United States and a Master of Arts from the School of International Service of the American University, also in the United States.