Dakar, Senegal, May 2024 – Gerard Mc Donnell has been appointed Regional Chief for Human Resources at UNICEF, West and Central Africa. He will lead the HR strategy from the UNICEF office in Dakar, Senegal.
Expressing gratitude to his previous team, Mc Donnell said, “I want to express my appreciation to everyone I worked with at WHO in its Regional Office in Cairo, especially all my colleagues and friends in the Human Resources and Talent Management Team. I had an amazing team to work with.”
With over two decades of experience in HR, Mc Donnell joins UNICEF from the World Health Organization (WHO), where he was Regional Human Resources Manager for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO). At WHO, he led the HR strategy and activities across 21 countries and the Cairo regional office, overseeing recruitment, talent acquisition, performance management, benefits, and staff development. He prioritized attracting and retaining talent while fostering an enabling work environment.
Before WHO, Mc Donnell served as Human Resources Manager for UNICEF in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, for four years. He also briefly held the role of Senior Programme Manager at the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS). Prior to UNMAS, he spent four years at The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) as HR Specialist and Head of Support Services in Juba, South Sudan.
Earlier in his career, Mc Donnell worked at UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) as a Human Resources Specialist. He also spent over a decade at USPD Schulte und Ster Consulting as a Trainer and Coach, later becoming Managing Director of USP Training and Development.
Mc Donnell’s comprehensive experience in HR management and leadership will be invaluable in guiding UNICEF’s human resource strategies in West and Central Africa.
About UNICEF:
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest environments to support disadvantaged children. With a presence in over 190 countries and territories, it strives to ensure every child fulfills their potential. UNICEF’s mission is to save lives, defend rights, and build a better future for all.
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