Catherine Russell is the new head of UNICEF

On February 1, Catherine Russell was elected Executive Director of UNICEF. She is the fourth woman to head the organization in its 75-year history.
“I have been entrusted with the Executive Director of UNICEF. I consider it a great honor to work with children in a difficult time, to help them. Millions of children around the world are suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis” noted Catherine Russell.

Catherine Russell attained a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Boston College. Then, she gained a doctorate in law from George Washington University.

For the past two years, Russell has served as Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff for the White House. From 2013 to 2017, she served as Ambassador to the State Department for Women's Affairs. She has represented the United States in more than 45 countries and has worked with a number of foreign organizations and civil society organizations. She is also the author of The Global Strategy for Adolescent Girls Empowerment in the United States.