Catherine Pollard appointed as UN undersecretary-general for management strategy, policy and compliance

UNITED NATIONS -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday appointed Catherine Pollard of Guyana as the next undersecretary-general for management strategy, policy and compliance.

Pollard will succeed Jan Beagle of New Zealand to whom the secretary-general is deeply grateful for her extraordinary work in management reform in the UN system and 40 years of dedicated service to the organization, according to a press note from the UN chief's office.

Pollard brings to the position over three decades of experience in human, financial, information communications technology and support operations and services and has a proven record of transformational leadership in the UN system, the statement said.

She is currently undersecretary-general for General Assembly and conference affairs, a position she assumed in 2015. Her previous leadership roles include assistant secretary-general for General Assembly and conference management and assistant secretary-general for human resources management.

Pollard joined the UN in 1989 as chief of national executive projects at the United Nations Development Programme. She then served the UN in various capacities, according to the statement.

Pollard holds a Master's in accounting from the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.