United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General Qu Dongyu announced today their appointment of Luke J. Lindberg of the United States as Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), to succeed Cindy H. McCain of the United States. The Executive Board of WFP has confirmed its concurrence with the appointment.
The Secretary-General and FAO Director-General express their deep appreciation to Ms. McCain for her leadership and dedicated service to WFP. She has led the Programme through one of the most demanding periods in its history, serving as a steadfast voice for people affected by conflict, disaster and severe hunger — and for the courageous personnel serving them on the front lines. Both also wish to express their appreciation to Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of WFP, who will continue to serve as Acting Executive Director of WFP until Mr. Lindberg assumes his position.
Currently serving as Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the United States Department of Agriculture, Mr. Lindberg is the principal diplomat for United States agriculture and brings Cabinet-level leadership experience in food assistance policy, trade promotion and international financing operations, as well as overseeing large, decentralized organizations and multibillion-dollar portfolios. He has demonstrated a record of institutional reform, governance and resource allocation under constraint.
Mr. Lindberg has delivered proven results in complex and high-pressure environments, including board governance, financial oversight, crisis decision-making and engagement with foreign governments, international organizations and multilateral forums. His expertise includes leading a multicultural workforce with staff in over 90 countries, where he has directed global programmes, balancing speed, accountability and impact while strengthening oversight mechanisms. He has led trade and diplomatic missions to dozens of countries, across six continents, and deployed significant humanitarian resources to high-need countries, while advancing complementary financing approaches, including public-private partnerships.
Mr. Lindberg previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer at South Dakota Trade Association; Head of Thought Leadership and Interim Chief of Staff at Sanford Health; Executive Director and Market Leader at Sanford World Clinic; and Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer at the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
Mr. Lindberg holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business; a Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy; and a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland.