Ms. Geka first joined UNOPS in 1995 and rejoined the organization in 2018. She brings with her more than 25 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. As a trained economist with a speciality in environment and sustainable development, Ms. Geka's career has spanned various entities within the UN family, including the UN Development Programme, the UN Environment Programme and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, where she has held various managerial-level roles overseeing strategic planning, partnerships, operations, M&E and administration, as well as environment, humanitarian and health portfolios.

Ms. Gonçalves joined UNOPS in 2021 as Deputy Director for the Africa Region. Prior to joining UNOPS, she held several managerial roles in the private sector in Africa, including Aggreko in Southern and Central Africa, SGS in Angola, and Bureau Veritas in Angola and Mozambique. Ms. Gonçalves holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Engineering from Beira Interior University, Portugal. She also completed postgraduate courses at Columbia Business School in Leading Strategic Growth and at Rutgers University in Managerial Excellence in Sales.

Ms. Kaloti has over 20 years of experience in the UN system, governmental and non-governmental sectors in humanitarian and development affairs. Prior to joining UNOPS in 2013 as the Sub-Regional Business Development Advisor in Amman, Ms. Kaloti worked for the Iraq Resident Coordinator, the UN Development Group Iraq Trust Fund-UNDP and the UN Children’s Fund in Palestine. Previously, Ms. Kaloti worked as a Senior Director at the General Directorate for Training and Administrative Development with the Palestinian Authority. She has also worked on technical assistance projects in Palestine, and served as a Board Member for a number of non-governmental organizations. Prior to her appointment as Director for the Middle East Region in 2015, Ms. Kaloti was the Director of the UNOPS Office in Amman.

Mr. Karim has over 20 years of experience in the humanitarian and development fields in progressively senior levels within the United Nations. In 2015, he was appointed Director of Europe and Central Asia Region for UNOPS. Mr. Karim previously served at the UN Secretariat in New York, at the Executive Office of the Secretary-General and at the UN Development Programme headquarters, including various field offices in a wide range of capacities. These responsibilities included the management of humanitarian and development programmes, coordination within the wider UN system, overseeing financial operations and building partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders.

Mr. Mathur joined UNOPS in 1995, where he spent four years working in sub-Saharan Africa as a Project Management Officer. He moved to UNOPS Asia Pacific Regional Office in Kuala Lumpur and then onto Bangkok, where he worked as Senior Portfolio Manager and Regional International Fund for Agricultural Development Cluster Coordinator. He was appointed Deputy Regional Director for Asia Pacific in 2007, before becoming Director and Representative for UNOPS Myanmar the following year. In 2015, Mr. Mathur began his new role as Director of Asia Region for UNOPS. His career began in France, where he worked in asset management. He also worked for Kraft Foods in New York, before accepting a position at the UN Development Programme in 1992 as the Head of the Consulting Services Unit.

Valerie Kushata was appointed Director of UNOPS People and Culture Group in November 2022 and brings with her more than 20 years of experience in operational and strategic human resources management. Prior to joining UNOPS, Ms. Kushata provided leadership on the development of people and culture at the World Wildlife Fund. Before this, Ms. Kushata worked for other international organizations including PATH, Oxfam and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Originally from Zimbabwe and a Permanent Resident of South Africa, she holds a Master of Business Administration in Leadership and Sustainability.

Émilie Potvin joined UNOPS in 2021, bringing 20 years of experience in public policy and government affairs. Before joining UNOPS, Ms. Potvin was Director in the Public Policy and Government Relations Team at Uber, where she was responsible for working with governments, policymakers and other stakeholders across Asia – creating a positive case for change and advocating for smart technology and innovation. Before joining Uber, Ms. Potvin served as Vice President in Public Affairs and Stakeholder Relations at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce where she acted as Canada’s Sherpa to the B20 group. She also served as Chief of Staff to various ministers in the Canadian government and held a number of positions in the private sector. Ms. Potvin began her career as a Foreign Service Officer and holds an MBA in International Management from HEC Montréal.

Mr. Gilyana started his career as Assistant Professor at the Salahaddin University in Erbil, Iraq. He later moved into the humanitarian and development sectors, starting with a job as Multi-Governorate Coordinator with the French NGO EquiLibre. His work with the World Food Programme as a Team Leader brought him into the United Nations system. He later moved to UNOPS – the beginning of a long career with the organization. Based in Copenhagen, Mr. Gilyana is the Director of the Shared Services Centre. While his current position focuses on operations, support services and overall management, he also has experience in project management. Mr. Gilyana previously managed projects in Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Yemen.

Mr. Manaigo-Vekil was appointed Director of the Ethics Office in November 2022 after joining the UNOPS Ethics Team as Officer-in-Charge in March 2022. Prior to this, he headed the newly established Internal Grievances function at UNOPS. Mr. Manaigo-Vekil previously held positions in the private sector and at an international financial institution. He started his UN career at the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Management and the Department of Field Support in the UN Secretariat. Mr. Manaigo-Vekil has more than 14 years of experience working at the threshold of law, conflict resolution, ethics and culture. In his work he is interested in the link between neuroscience, workplace behavior and institutional justice systems within organizations. He holds a Diploma in Law, two Master’s Degrees including in Public Administration and is a trained mediator.