Kandeh Yumkella

Kandeh K. Yumkella ( born July 5, 1959 in Sierra Leone) is an agricultural economist and since 2005, Director-General of UNIDO in Vienna.

Yumkella visited Sierra Leone in an agricultural school, continued his studies in the United States continued he with a degree in agricultural economics at the University of Illinois graduating in 1992 with a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics. Before he joined the UNIDO, he was also Minister of Commerce of the Republic of Sierra Leone, lectured at American universities and got for numerous publications and High recognition rates. Prior to his appointment as Director General in 2005, he held a number of senior positions in the UNIDO was also significant advisor to its predecessor Mauricio de Maria y Campos and Carlos Alfredo Magariños. In 2009 he was again confirmed in his position as Director General.

In his speeches he always performed very passionate advocates especially for the fight against poverty in the developing world such as in Africa, in terms of a reduction of climate change, he is a strong advocate for rapid switch to renewable energy.

Kandeh K. Yumkella is married, has two daughters and lives in Vienna.