The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Leadership
The UNOPS Management Team is responsible for advising and supporting the Executive Director. This is in accordance with the organization's strategic plan, which is under the direction of the Executive Board.
Executive Office
Jorge Moreira da Silva joined UNOPS in April 2023. He has extensive experience working in the public and development sectors, with a strong focus on climate change, energy and the environment.
Previously, Mr. Moreira da Silva was the Director of the Development Co-operation Directorate at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and was Portugal’s Minister for the Environment, Territorial Planning and Energy, Secretary of State on Environment and Secretary of State on Science and Higher Education.
He also served as Senior Environmental Finance Adviser and as Programme Manager on Climate Change Innovative Finance at the UN Development Programme. As a member of the European Parliament, he authored the legislation that created the European Union Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme.
Mr. Moreira da Silva holds a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a postgraduate degree in Senior Management.
Hilary Balbuena joined UNOPS in June 2023, bringing over 25 years of experience in leadership roles focused on strategic planning, budgeting, and financial and human resources management. She has dedicated her career to the work of leading international organizations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Interpol and the United Nations. As a trusted advisor in complex organizational change and transformations, she has led, and contributed to, many reform initiatives throughout her career. Most recently, she was Head of the Central Management Unit at the OECD's Development Co-operation Directorate. Prior to this, she was Head of Finance and Operations at Cities Alliance. Ms. Balbuena holds a Master of Business Administration from the Open University.
Regional Offices
Mr. Feliciani has held a range of senior management positions in his career, developing innovative practices in sustainable development, human rights, evaluation and oversight. In the 1990s, he managed a range of UNOPS portfolios, including in areas of Central America affected by war. Mr. Feliciani worked for ten years as an evaluator of projects, programmes and public policies for several UN entities, private firms, NGOs and governments. He re-joined UNOPS in 2012 as Regional Advisor for Sustainable Development for Latin America and the Caribbean, and from 2014 as Regional Director. Mr. Feliciani holds a Doctorate in Agriculture Sciences. He has also served as a professor of ecology, rural development and cooperation for development.
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.
Corporate Functions
Mr. Browne joined UNOPS in 2014 from UN Environment in Nairobi, Kenya. He has more than 15 years of experience in media and communications, including nine years based in Africa. Before joining the UN, he was a journalist, reporting from three continents for publications such as the New York Times and The Guardian. He holds Masters Degrees in Environmental Science and Communications.
Tushar Dighe joined UNOPS in 2006 where he began as a Systems Architect. Since then he has worked in several capacities including, among others, Strategic Business Advisor, ICT Enterprise Reporting Lead and Director of the Business Innovation and Improvement Programme. In his latter role, Mr. Dighe led a team to help transform the administration of UNOPS operations through a more efficient, integrated set of processes, systems and reporting mechanisms. Today as Director, Mr. Dighe leads IT at UNOPS, bringing in a culture of innovation to deliver solutions for the organization beyond technology. Prior to joining UNOPS, Mr. Dighe co-founded an award winning business management software company and was Managing Director of a software company in India.
Anne-Claire Howard joined UNOPS in 2022, bringing over 17 years of experience in heavy industry and raw materials sustainability, good governance and responsible supply chain management. Prior to joining UNOPS, Ms. Howard advised multiple organizations on sustainable supply chains including the International Finance Corporation, Adam Smith International and Shell. Most recently she was the CEO of ResponsibleSteel, a global multi-stakeholder standard and certification initiative that aims to maximize the role of steel in building a sustainable society. A graduate of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and Science Po Paris, she is also a member of the first cohort of the Franco-British Young Leaders Network.
Nicole Jordan joined UNOPS in 2023 bringing over 25 years of private and public sector experience through her work in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the United States. Ms. Jordan previously held senior leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, Cable & Wireless and, most recently, the Caribbean Development Bank. Her work experience includes advising on procurement, project implementation, structured finance, derivative transactions, and telecommunications law and regulation. Ms. Jordan has also served as a member of a university council, a charity and the disciplinary committee of a sporting association. Ms. Jordan holds a Master of Law degree specializing in commercial law from the University of Cambridge.
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.
Advisory Functions
Abdoul Dieng has more than 25 years of experience leading audit, investigation and operational teams in a range of international environments – including the United Nations, international financial institutions and the private sector. Mr. Dieng first joined UNOPS in 2007, bringing with him years of experience from both field locations and Headquarters. He has worked in a variety of roles including Head of Audit Section, Head of Support Services, Finance Manager and Operations Manager. Mr. Dieng holds a Master in Auditing, Accounting and Finance as well a Master in Management.
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.
