Mandeep O’Brien

Mandeep O’Brien became the Director of UNICEF’s Public Partnerships Division in August 2024. She oversees the organization’s resource mobilization from the public sector, its engagement with permanent missions and governments on multilateral affairs in the inter-governmental space, and its UN partnerships. Ms. O’Brien has worked in United Nations for 25 years, serving at various leadership positions in three regions – Middle East & North Africa; East Asia & Pacific; South Asia – as well as headquarters.

From August 2021 to August 2024, Ms. O’Brien served as UNICEF Representative in Sudan, leading a large workforce on delivering results for children in one of the world’s most complex humanitarian emergencies and war contexts, while continuing to pursue a triple nexus and resilience building approach.

Prior to that, she served as UNICEF Representative for the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Deputy Director for the Public Partnerships Division in UNICEF Headquarters, New York.

During her time in UNFPA and UNDP, Ms. O’Brien worked in collaboration with the Harvard University on political analyses for social policy implementation covering thirteen countries across Asia, Africa & Central America regions, corporate strategic planning, corporate evaluation policy and served as Deputy Representative in Viet Nam.

She started her UN career as national staff in India working on grassroots community development and micro-credit programs.

Ms. O’Brien is a national of India, qualified as a university lecturer and recipient of the President of India’s award for academic excellence. She holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy (USA), a Master’s degree in Sociology from the Delhi School of Economics (India), a diploma in Health Research Methods, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK).

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