Kanni Wignaraja is Assistant Secretary‑General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, appointed in 2019. Previously, she served as Acting Director of UNDP’s Bureau of Management Services and Special Adviser to the UNDP Administrator, and prior to that led the UN Development Operations Coordination Office. With over 25 years in UN leadership roles across HQ and field settings, she brings deep experience in sustainable development, spanning policy, programme, management and operations. She holds an MPA from Princeton University and a BA (Economics) from Bryn Mawr College.