Former New Zealand Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva (2013-16) Amanda Ellis now leads global partnerships at the exciting new ASU Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory. She also serves as Executive Director Asia-Pacific for the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, Professor of Practice at Thunderbird School of Global Management and co-chair of the WE Empower UN SDG Challenge, launched by UNSG Gutteres in 2018.
Ambassador Ellis served as Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to Francophone Africa, playing a key role in New Zealand’s successful UN Security Council bid. She subsequently served as co-chair for the UN Security Council High Level Group on Humanitarian Access into Syria. Prior to that, as Deputy Secretary (International Development) in the New Zealand Foreign Ministry Ms. Ellis was the first woman to lead the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) Programme, managing an annual budget of over $0.6 billion.
Previous roles include Lead Specialist Poverty Reduction and Economic Management for the World Bank Group, Founder and Head of the Global Gender Group at the International Finance Corporation, and National Manager Women in Business at Westpac Banking Corporation. The author of two best-selling Random House business books and five research titles in the World Bank Directions in Development series, Ms. Ellis is a founding member of the Global Banking Alliance for Women and the recipient of the TIAW Lifetime Achievement Award for services to women’s economic empowerment. She serves on a number of boards, including the Global Governance Forum, the International Leadership Association, East-West Center, Blue Planet Alliance and the Institute for Climate and Peace.