Christine M. Ciccone joined the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency of the United Nations in September 2020 as Special Advisor for the UN Food Systems Summit. In that capacity, she is responsible for representing the interests of IFAD in the 2021 Global Food Systems Summit called by the UN Secretary General to support achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Ms. Ciccone has more than 25 years of experience in the public and private sectors. She has served in several leadership roles in the United States government at the White House, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as well as the U.S. Senate. She has also served in senior positions in global corporations in the areas of national security, energy, and diversified technology and manufacturing.

Ms. Ciccone earned a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the US Naval War College, a Juris Doctorate in Law from George Washington University in Washington, DC, and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Economics from the University of New Hampshire.