BA in Economics and History, Oxford University; MSc in Economics, University of London. Qualified accountant. Over 30 years of humanitarian and development experience. Served for extended periods in Kenya, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Former positions with the UK Department for International Development (DFID) include: Director of Finance; Director-General for both Policy and Corporate Performance; Director-General for Africa and Asia, coordinating its response to humanitarian emergencies in Haiti, Pakistan and Myanmar; Permanent Secretary, leading the United Kingdom’s humanitarian response to conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Libya as well as to natural disasters in the Philippines and Nepal. May 2017, Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and Emergency Relief Coordinator; serves as the chief coordinator of the world’s humanitarian response in times of urgent crisis.