United Nations Secretary-General Appoints Michelle Gyles-McDonnough as Executive Director of UNITAR

16 December 2024, New York, USA - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Michelle Gyles-McDonnough of Jamaica as the new Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). She will officially assume her duties on 1 February 2025, succeeding Nikhil Seth of India, to whom the Secretary-General expressed profound gratitude for his dedication and contributions to the United Nations.

With over 30 years of experience in sustainable development, policy advocacy, international trade, international relations, and organizational change management, Ms. Gyles-McDonnough brings a rich background of leadership within the UN system and beyond. Her expertise spans economic, social, and environmental portfolios critical to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She has led transformative initiatives in complex international organizations, driving innovation, strengthening institutional capacities, and fostering partnerships with governments and key stakeholders worldwide.

Ms. Gyles-McDonnough currently serves as Director of the Sustainable Development Unit in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, New York, a role she has held since 2017. Her previous leadership roles within the UN include:

• Chief, Subregional Policy Advisory Facility for the Caribbean, UNDP (1999-2004)
• Coordinator, Grenada Recovery Programme (2004-2005)
• Caribbean Regional Adviser, UNDP (2005)
• Programme Adviser, UNDP Executive Office/Operations Support Group (2006-2008)
• UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative for Barbados and the OECS (2008-2013)
• UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam (2013-2016)

Before joining the United Nations, Ms. Gyles-McDonnough worked as an international trade lawyer, Legal Adviser to the Jamaican Embassy in Washington, D.C., and Adviser to the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) on international trade, and teaching assistant at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Ms. Gyles-McDonnough holds a law degree from Columbia University School of Law, a master’s in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a diploma in executive education from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in French from Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania. Fluent in English, she also has a working knowledge of French and Spanish.

UNITAR warmly welcomes Ms. Gyles-McDonnough to her new role and looks forward to her leadership in advancing its mission of building capacities for a sustainable future.