New York, July 14, 2026
The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data today announced the appointment of Jenna Slotin of Canada as its next Chief Executive Officer. Slotin has served as Interim CEO since September 2025 and brings to the role over twenty years of experience at the forefront of multilateral policy innovation and delivery, including over a decade of leadership at the Global Partnership.
The announcement comes on the heels of a record-breaking Global Data Festival, held in Nairobi in June, which convened more than 1,300 participants from over sixty countries, and reflected a rapidly evolving landscape in which data, AI, and digital technologies are increasingly central to development, governance, and economic opportunity. The festival highlighted both the momentum behind digital transformation and the urgency of ensuring its benefits are shared by all.
Slotin takes on leadership of the Global Partnership at a consequential time. The global development landscape is shifting with aid contracting, digital technologies reshaping what’s possible, and the question of who owns data becoming a geopolitical before a technical one. Against that backdrop, the Global Partnership’s work supporting countries to build data systems on their own terms, galvanize both domestic and international action and investment, and ensure that systems are fit for purpose matters more than ever. With data increasingly concentrated in the hands of the few and being treated as a strategic economic asset, the Global Partnership brings governments, civil society, and the private sector together to strengthen the foundations for a future where data works for people over power.
"The Global Partnership was built on an urgent conviction that I share completely," said Slotin, "that countries working to leverage data and technology for sustainable development should have the knowledge, the tools, and the authority to lead that work, supported by coordinated international action. That is what drives what we do, from national partnerships to global platforms, and the community of people who make this movement. I am proud to lead it."
Statement from Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO, United Nations Foundation:
Jenna has spent her career developing policy innovations to drive progress, including over a decade leading policy for the Global Partnership. She is widely respected, fresh in her thinking, and brings a keen eye for impact, along with deep commitment to the organization’s global community, and the strategic clarity our times demand. The Global Partnership could not be in better hands.
Statement from Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations and Co-convenor of the Global Partnership Board:
Under Jenna's leadership, I am confident the Global Partnership will build on its strong track record of harnessing data and digital technologies to accelerate inclusive sustainable development.
Slotin was one of the pioneers of the Global Partnership since its founding in 2015 and has shaped its approach to data governance, development financing, and AI. She is also a Board Trustee of Publish What You Fund and Advisory Board member of WorldPop. She holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and brings a career spanning international policy, organizational leadership, and development finance across the UN system, civil society, and the private sector.