Carl Skau is WFP’s Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he leads the organisation’s overall coordination, strategic direction, humanitarian diplomacy, and support for field operations. He also supports corporate efforts to maximise WFP’s inter-agency collaboration and partnerships.

Skau has over 20 years of experience working in diplomacy, humanitarian affairs, peace-building and development across different regions and organisations. He is a recognised and experienced leader with a track record in forging strong bilateral and multilateral partnerships, mobilising resources, international negotiations, strategic communications, and leading and motivating empowered and diverse teams.

Before joining WFP, Skau headed the Department for Multilateral Partnerships at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, where he led its response to humanitarian crises across the globe, including the COVID-19 pandemic. He also served as Sweden’s Ambassador and Special Envoy to Venezuela, and was Ambassador and Deputy Representative to the United Nations in New York during Sweden’s two-year term on the Security Council.

His previous positions have included Deputy Representative to the European
Union Political and Security Committee in Brussels, in addition to postings for the EU and UN in Africa and Latin America. He began his career with UNHCR and UNDP. He holds a bachelor’s degree in social science, and a master’s degree in political science from Lund University.