Christiana Figueres
Architect of the 2015 Paris Agreement | Former Executive Secretary, UNFCCC | Co-Founder, Global Optimism | Bestselling Author
Susana Malcorra
Former Foreign Minister of Argentina | Former Chef de Cabinet to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon | Co-Founder & President, GWL Voices | Co-Chair, International Crisis Group Board
Susana Malcorra has operated at the apex of global governance — as Chief of Staff to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Foreign Minister of Argentina, and a 2016 candidate to lead the United Nations itself. Now Co-founder and President of GWL Voices and Co-Chair of the International Crisis Group, she brings to every audience a first-hand account of how global power works, how crises are managed at scale, and why women's leadership in international institutions is the defining governance challenge of our era.
Want to book Susana Malcorra as a speaker for your event? Please provide the info below and we’ll get in touch within 24h:
Susana Malcorra biography
Susana Malcorra is one of the most accomplished multilateral leaders of her generation — an Argentine electrical engineer who rose to become Chief of Staff to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Foreign Minister of Argentina, a candidate to lead the United Nations itself, and today one of the most prominent global advocates for women’s representation in international governance.
Global affairs speaker Susana Malcorra began her career at IBM Argentina and went on to lead Telecom Argentina as Chief Executive Officer — a nearly twenty-five-year private sector career that gave her the operational and strategic discipline she would later apply to some of the world’s most complex institutions. In 2004, she made a deliberate pivot, joining the United Nations World Food Programme in Rome as Under-Secretary-General and Chief Operating Officer, where she oversaw emergency and humanitarian operations in more than 80 countries. Her response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami — mobilizing human resources, logistics, finance, and telecommunications across a devastated region in real time — became a landmark example of large-scale crisis management under pressure.
In 2008, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed her Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, putting her in charge of logistics, communications, personnel, and financial services for peacekeeping operations worldwide. Four years later, he appointed her Chef de Cabinet — his Chief of Staff — a role in which she served through some of the most turbulent periods in recent UN history, managing relationships with heads of state, coordinating the Secretary-General’s agenda across the full scope of global affairs, and navigating complex negotiations in conflict zones including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Somalia.
Foreign Minister, UN Secretary-General Candidate, and Global Women’s Leader
In December 2015, President Mauricio Macri appointed Malcorra as Argentina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, making her one of the most internationally experienced foreign ministers in the world at the time of her appointment. She served until mid-2017, also presiding as special adviser over Argentina’s hosting of the 2018 G-20 Summit in Buenos Aires and the eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference. In 2016, she ran as a candidate for Secretary-General of the United Nations — one of seven women among thirteen candidates in a race ultimately won by António Guterres.
Since leaving government, Malcorra has served as Dean of the IE School of Global and Public Affairs in Madrid, Co-Chair of the International Crisis Group’s Board of Directors, and a board member of the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Inter-American Dialogue. She is Co-founder and President of GWL Voices — an organization she created alongside former UN Secretary-General candidates Helen Clark and Irina Bokova to advocate for women’s leadership in multilateral institutions.
As a speaker, Susana Malcorra brings to every stage a perspective shaped by decades at the highest levels of global governance — not as an observer, but as a principal. Her talks are grounded in direct experience managing crises, negotiating across deep political divides, and building institutional trust under extraordinary public scrutiny. Audiences gain a uniquely authoritative view of how global power actually operates, what leadership in multilateral environments demands, and why gender parity in international governance is both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity.
Susana Malcorra Speaking Videos
H.E. Susanna Malcorra - Leaders Summit 2016 - Day 1 at UN Headquarters
Susana Malcorra: 2012 UNA-USA Members' Day (Full Speech)
Susana Malcorra Keynote Topics
From directing WFP humanitarian operations across 80-plus countries to managing UN peacekeeping logistics worldwide to serving as the Secretary-General's Chief of Staff through some of the most turbulent years in recent history, Malcorra has led through crisis at a scale few can claim. This keynote distills the leadership principles she developed at the intersection of geopolitical complexity, institutional pressure, and human stakes — including how to build trust across deep divisions, make consequential decisions with incomplete information, and maintain institutional credibility when the world is watching. A session for leaders who need more than theory.
The multilateral system that underpinned global stability for decades is under unprecedented strain. Malcorra — who has negotiated inside the UN Security Council, managed conflict processes in the DRC, Sudan, and Somalia, and represented Argentina's foreign policy at the highest international levels — offers a frank and deeply informed reading of where global power is shifting, what the rise of multipolarity means for business and governance, and how leaders and organizations can position themselves effectively in a world where the rules of engagement are being rewritten. A keynote for senior audiences who need to think strategically about an increasingly turbulent international environment.
As a candidate for UN Secretary-General, as Argentina's Foreign Minister, and as co-founder of GWL Voices, Malcorra has spent her career both breaking barriers and building the systems to dismantle them. In this keynote, she makes a rigorous and personal case for why gender parity in international governance and corporate leadership is not a matter of fairness alone but of institutional effectiveness, crisis resilience, and long-term strategic advantage. Drawing on decades of experience in both public and private sector leadership, she challenges audiences to move beyond symbolic commitments to structural change.
Malcorra's career — from IBM Argentina to Telecom CEO to WFP COO to UN Chef de Cabinet to Foreign Minister — is one of the most remarkable institutional journeys in contemporary public life. In this reflective keynote, she examines what it takes to lead transformation inside large, complex organizations with competing stakeholders, entrenched cultures, and high public accountability. She shares the leadership lessons she carried across sectors — from telecoms to humanitarian response to diplomacy — and argues that the capacity to build trust, navigate ambiguity, and hold a team together under pressure is the most transferable skill a leader can possess.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Susana Malcorra
Why Susana Malcorra?
Booking Susana Malcorra means bringing to your event someone who has operated at the very apex of global governance — not as a diplomat or adviser, but as a decision-maker. As Chief of Staff to the UN Secretary-General, Foreign Minister of Argentina, and a candidate to lead the United Nations, she has managed international crises, led complex multilateral negotiations, and built coalitions across the most fractured geopolitical environments on earth. Her perspective on global leadership, institutional resilience, and women's representation in power is grounded in direct, high-stakes experience that very few speakers in the world can match. For events focused on global affairs, leadership, geopolitics, women in power, or crisis management, she is a genuinely rare and compelling choice. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to inquire about her availability for your event.
What did Susana Malcorra do at the United Nations?
Susana Malcorra held three major roles at the United Nations. As Chief Operating Officer of the World Food Programme from 2004, she directed humanitarian operations across more than 80 countries and led the WFP's response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. From 2008, as Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, she oversaw logistics, communications, and financial services for UN peacekeeping missions globally. From 2012 until 2015, she served as Chef de Cabinet — Chief of Staff — to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, managing the executive office of the UN and supporting the Secretary-General across the full breadth of international affairs, from Security Council negotiations to complex conflict mediation.
What is GWL Voices?
GWL Voices — Global Women Leaders' Voices for Change and Inclusion — is an advocacy organization co-founded by Susana Malcorra alongside Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO, all of whom were candidates in the 2016 UN Secretary-General election. The organization advocates for women's representation and leadership at the highest levels of multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, and works to ensure that future selection processes for top international posts are transparent, merit-based, and genuinely inclusive. Malcorra serves as its President.
What topics does global affairs speaker Susana Malcorra cover?
Susana Malcorra speaks on global governance and multilateral leadership, crisis management and humanitarian response, women in international politics and power, geopolitics and conflict prevention, institutional leadership under pressure, and the future of multilateralism in a fragmented world. Her keynotes draw directly from her experience at the WFP, the UN Secretariat, and the Argentine government, and are particularly compelling for audiences in government, international organizations, corporate leadership, and any institution grappling with global complexity. Aurum Speakers Bureau can advise on the format and focus best suited to your event.
How to book Susana Malcorra as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Susana Malcorra as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Susana Malcorra's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Susana Malcorra or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Susana Malcorra speaking fee?
Susana Malcorra speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Susana Malcorra to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Susana Malcorra.
How can I contact Susana Malcorra?
We only work with Susana Malcorra on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Susana Malcorra and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Susana Malcorra speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Susana Malcorra for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Susana Malcorra for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Susana Malcorra is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Susana Malcorra for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
