Susana Malcorra

Susana Malcorra
Foreign and Commonwealth Office · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Susana Malcorra
Birth date	1954-05-07
Birth place	Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Nationality	Argentine
Occupation	Diplomat; Engineer; Politician
Alma mater	National University of Rosario
Known for	Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina; Chief of Cabinet of Antonio Guterres at the United Nations

Susana Malcorra is an Argentine engineer, diplomat, and politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina and later as Chef de Cabinet to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. She has held senior roles at multinational organizations, municipal administrations, and international diplomatic forums, engaging with leaders and institutions across Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Early life and education

Born in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Malcorra studied electrical engineering at the National University of Rosario and pursued postgraduate studies linked to Universidad de Buenos Aires, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and international research centers. Her academic formation connected her to networks including Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, and Latin American technical communities that interfaced with World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank initiatives. Early affiliations brought her into contact with figures and institutions such as Carlos Menem, Raúl Alfonsín, Eduardo Duhalde, and regional academic consortia associated with Mercosur dialogues and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development forums.

Diplomatic and UN career

Malcorra's professional trajectory includes senior management at IBM and leadership in disaster response operations connected to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations Development Programme, and humanitarian clusters coordinated with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Committee of the Red Cross, and OCHA-linked missions. She became Chief Operating Officer of World Food Programme and later Chief Operating Officer of the United Nations Secretariat for administration, interacting with Secretaries-General such as Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon, and later António Guterres. In the UN context she worked with senior officials from UNICEF, UNHCR, World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and collaborated with regional UN offices including UNDP Latin America and Caribbean and Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Her diplomatic work involved engagement with ambassadors from United States, China, Russia, Germany, France, United Kingdom, as well as multilateral bargaining in contexts like United Nations General Assembly, UN Security Council, G20, and humanitarian summits alongside actors such as Paul Kagame, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Amina J. Mohammed.

Argentine political career

Appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship by President Mauricio Macri, she led Argentina's diplomatic corps and participated in bilateral and multilateral negotiations involving Mercosur, G20 Buenos Aires Summit (2018), and regional initiatives with leaders such as Jair Bolsonaro, Michelle Bachelet, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Juan Manuel Santos, and Lenín Moreno. Her ministry managed relations with sovereign states including United States, China, Russia, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and coordinated on issues involving Vatican City and the Holy See with ecclesiastical interlocutors. Her tenure engaged institutions like European Union, Organisation of American States, Union of South American Nations, and trade discussions involving World Trade Organization. During her ministerial period she navigated diplomatic episodes concerning the Falkland Islands, bilateral investment with China Development Bank, and policy dialogues with International Monetary Fund and World Bank representatives.

Post-ministerial roles and international work

After leaving ministerial office she engaged with think tanks and international organizations including Atlantic Council, Chatham House, Council on Foreign Relations, and academic institutions such as Harvard University, Columbia University, Universidad de San Andrés, and Georgetown University. She was nominated and appointed as Chef de Cabinet to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, coordinating among UN departments including Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Department of Peace Operations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and liaising with member states like Brazil, India, South Africa, and Japan. Her post-ministerial portfolio involved cooperation with philanthropic foundations including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, engagement with corporate partners such as Siemens and IBM, and participation in forums like World Economic Forum and Munich Security Conference. She also worked with regional development banks like Inter-American Development Bank and multilateral initiatives connected to Sustainable Development Goals, collaborating with figures such as Ban Ki-moon, Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron, and Angela Merkel.

Personal life and honors

Malcorra's personal network includes interactions with Argentine political figures such as Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Néstor Kirchner, and diplomats from Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay. She has been recognized by institutions including awards and honors from universities and international bodies like UNESCO, ASEAN-linked forums, and national orders bestowed by states including Spain, France, and Portugal. Her public engagements have placed her on panels with leaders from International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, European Commission, and civil society leaders from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. She maintains ties to academic and policy communities across Latin America, Europe, and United States institutions and continues to participate in diplomatic, development, and multilateral dialogues.

Category:Argentine diplomats Category:1954 births Category:Living people