Kandeh K. Yumkella | |
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Photo by Mikhail Evstafiev
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Personal details | |
Born |
Kychom,Samu Chiefdom, Kambia District, Sierra Leone |
5 July 1959
Political party | Sierra Leone People's Party |
Spouse(s) | Philomena Yumkella |
Residence | New York City |
Alma mater | |
Profession | Agricultural economics |
Religion | Islam |
Alhaji Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella (born July 5, 1959) is a Sierra Leonean Agricultural economist, politician, and the former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All. He was also the chief executive officer of the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative. Yumkella is a former Chairman of UN-Energy and a two-term former Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Born in Kambia District in Northern Sierra leone, Yumkella has a B.Sc. from Njala University; a B.Sc. from the Cornell University; and a Ph.D. in Agricultural economics from the University of Illinois.
In December 2005, Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella was appointed Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), having previously worked in various high-level policy positions in UNIDO. He was re-appointed for a second four-year term in office in December 2009.
Prior to working for UNIDO, Yumkella was the Minister for Trade, Industry of Sierra Leone from 1994-1995. From 1987-1996, he held various academic positions at Michigan State University and the University of Illinois in the United States. In recognition of his leadership and his passion for energy and environment-related causes, Yumkella was appointed as Chair of UN-Energy in 2008 by the UN Secretary-General.