Senior Staff Announcements : Catherine Russell

Dear colleagues,

Further to the decision on consolidation of four regional offices and two headquarters divisions, I am pleased to inform you of the following senior staff appointments:

Edouard Beigbeder has been appointed as the Regional Director for Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa, effective 1 January 2027.

Edouard, a national of Serbia, is currently Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa. Prior to this role, he was Representative in Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bangladesh and Haiti. Edouard brings over thirty years of progressively responsible experience in UNICEF in both humanitarian and development settings. He has extensive experience in leading teams in complex environments and building strategic partnerships. Edouard holds a Master's degree in Business Management and a Master's degree in Organization and Management of Production.

Regina De Dominicis has been appointed as the Director, Division of Strategy and Evidence, Florence, Italy, effective 1 July 2026.

 

Regina, a national of Italy, has been serving as the Regional Director, Europe and Central Asia and UNICEF's Representative to the United Nations in Geneva since July 2023. Having joined UNICEF in 2009, Regina previously worked as UNICEF' Representative in Türkiye, Serbia and Morocco. Prior to joining UNICEF, Regina worked in the European Commission and the European Agency for Reconstruction in both humanitarian and development contexts, as well as in the private sector in Canada. She holds a Master's degree in European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges and a BA in Political Sciences with a specialization in International Relations from LUISS University in Rome.

Sanjay Wijesekera has been appointed as the Regional Director for Asia Pacific Regional Office, effective 1 July 2026.

Sanjay, a national of Sri Lanka, is currently serving as the Regional Director for South Asia. Prior to this role, he was the Director of Programme Group in NYHQ and Representative, South Africa. He joined UNICEF in 2011 as the Associate Director / Global Lead for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). He has also worked on UNICEF's WASH programmes in Nigeria in 2002, and in Sri Lanka after the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. Sanjay is a civil engineer by training and worked in the private sector for ten years. He also worked for Oxfam (GB) in Rwanda, and for the Government of South Africa, before joining the UK's Department for International Development where he was posted to Ghana and the UK.

Please join me in congratulating Edouard, Regina and Sanjay and wishing them much success in their new roles.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to June Kunugi, Regional Director, East Asia and Pacific, and to Bo Viktor Nylund, Director of Global Office for Research and Foresight, for their dedication and leadership in their recent roles and throughout their careers with UNICEF. June has devoted more than 33 years of service to UNICEF, holding a number of progressively responsible leadership positions. Prior to her most recent role, June served as Director of the Public Partnerships Division and Representative, Myanmar, making significant contributions to UNICEF's mandate and child right's agenda. Bo Viktor has contributed 27 years of service to UNICEF, having served in various leadership roles, including his most recent roles of Representative in Syria, and Deputy Regional Director, ESARO.

We extend our warmest wishes to June for a restful and fulfilling retirement, and our thanks to Bo Viktor for his commitment and service.

With best wishes,

Cathy Russell