Nina Brandt

Nina recently joined the United Nations Youth Office as Chief of the Section for Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications. She has worked at the United Nations for more than 19 years, and in recent years has led a major digital transformation agenda at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs by promoting more user centred and agile approaches to capacity development support for governments.

Driven by a passion for connecting people, ideas and systems to accelerate change, Nina previously managed a self financed global outreach programme in the Department of Global Communications called United Nations Development Business, which links private sector actors to business opportunities in developing countries. Committed to advancing women’s economic empowerment, she developed new approaches to attract more women managed and women led businesses to global supply chains, built a portfolio of international partners, and in 2010 launched the first United Nations Secretariat partnership on design thinking for business innovation, in collaboration with students from the Parsons School of Design.

Earlier in her career, Nina worked at the United Nations Development Programme on global pandemic response and on supporting 166 country offices during the avian influenza outbreak. Before joining the UN, she worked in the private sector as a radio reporter and in public relations, hospitality and market research. She has delivered more than 100 speaking engagements on topics including innovation, leadership, digital engagement, women’s empowerment, collaboration with the UN, and the power of professional networks.

Nina holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology from Heidelberg University, a Master’s degree in Media Studies from The New School, and a Diploma in General Management from IESE Business School.