Three years in: reflections on my CEO journey at the UN Global Compact

🌎 Three years ago this week, I embarked on an extraordinary journey as the CEO and Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact . Reflecting on this transformative period, I am filled with immense gratitude for the challenges faced, opportunities created, friendships made, successes achieved, lessons learned and personal growth that have shaped a colourful collage of my life experiences.

Leaving behind my cherished home in Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪, in the depth of the Covid-19 pandemic, I began a global adventure that has bridged cultures, expanded horizons and strengthened my passion and commitment to global sustainability. 

New York City, a testament to resilience, has transformed from eerily empty streets during the early days of the pandemic into its usual vibrant hub of energy, hope and determination. Symbolizing the dynamic nature of the business world, the subway emerged as a powerful emblem, teeming with diverse people boarding and disembarking, converging on a shared path forward enriched by their unique perspectives and ambitions.

While navigating a new environment, I have witnessed personal growth alongside the remarkable expansion and accomplishments of the UN Global Compact — expanding its reach to more than 160 countries and five regional hubs encompassing an impressive network of more than 18,000 companies and 3,800 non-business signatories from diverse sectors and varying sizes. 

I have revelled in the opportunities for nurturing transformative partnerships worldwide that create spaces for businesses and business leaders to raise ambition and collaborate for a more sustainable world. 

It has been an honour to have UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed , and my board co-Vice Chairs Solange Ribeiro and Paul Polman as vigorous advocates for the role of the private sector in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

By forging innovative collaborations among our private sector participants and across the United Nations , particularly at the country level, we have propelled the adoption of corporate responsibility policies and practices, resulting in an astounding 90 per cent of surveyed companies in 2022 attesting to the positive impact of their engagement with the UN Global Compact. 

These achievements stand as a testament to the power of collective action and the potential for transformative change when diverse stakeholders come together in pursuit of sustainable development. It has been exciting to watch the growth of a sustainability movement stretching from all corners of the globe. 

Yet, we must acknowledge the immense challenges that lie ahead. From the widening political polarities that threaten the spirit of multilateralism; to inflation and increases in the cost of living; to the clear and present dangers of climate, energy and food crises, it is clear that our world is no longer able to sustain our current collective patterns of consumption and production. But yet, the world is not homogenous, and for every person that has, there are more who do not have.  

This is why we must wholeheartedly align our actions with the ambition and urgency of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030. 

The imperative and the opportunity lie in demonstrating that the SDGs are a viable roadmap for individual, community and country-level opportunities. We need to understand why harvests will fail in two poles of the world because there is perennial drought in the Horn of Africa and floods in Europe. We need to understand why countries that need access to international finance at an affordable rate to sustain economic growth cannot do so, and we need to understand why certain countries with abundant natural resources are still facing poverty and economic inequality. And for the primary stakeholder of the UN Global Compact, which is business, we need to seek opportunities to connect, convene and catalyze solutions collectively.

Looking ahead, in this pivotal year of the midpoint review of the progress on the SDGs implementation, I stand challenged and inspired by the opportunities and the work that awaits us. 

I invite you to explore the rich details of our journey in the 2022 Annual Report, where we provide an overview of our progress across strategic and operational focus areas, highlight key activities undertaken and showcase the valuable resources created to promote business action on UN issues and priorities.

The action, support and dedication of the participants, partners and colleagues at the UN Global Compact have been instrumental in our collective achievements.

Just like New York City's resurgence from the early days of the pandemic, my journey in the last three years has been one of transformation, resilience and shared determination. Guided by this spirit of rebirth embodied by this great city, I am committed to fostering a sustainable future where businesses thrive and communities flourish. I hope you’ll join us in this journey as we harness our unique strengths to create a world that embraces diversity, inclusion and lasting positive change, #UnitingBusiness for a better future.