Our team

The UN Advisory Alliance helps UN Agencies envision their future and transform strategy into action, focusing on tangible results, efficiency and simplification. We execute projects on behalf of senior executives across the UN system and offer end-to-end solutions to business challenges, implementing UN to UN agreements for increased efficiency. Comprising personnel with top-tier management consulting and strong UN experience, the UN Advisory Alliance has executed more than 140 projects across the UN system. 

The UNAA team at WFP HQ

Our team

We have created a diverse team of more than 60 professionals with top-tier management consulting backgrounds (Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey) and strong corporate and UN experience. Our team comprises:

  • 60 percent women
  • More than 20 nationalities
  • 16 languages

With this capacity, the UN Advisory Alliance has successfully executed more than 140 projects.

Leadership

Giovanni Pio Profile photo
Giovanni Pio

Head of UN Advisory Alliance

Giovanni Pio has over 20 years of experience working in the UN and the finance and strategy consulting industry. In his role at the UN Advisory Alliance, he leads efforts to promote innovation, efficiency and change by identifying and developing end-to-end solutions for large organizational challenges across the UN system. Previously, Giovanni was an associate partner at Bain & Company, where he served various financial service institutions and private equity funds throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and a financial planning manager at Citigroup Bank EMEA in London. Giovanni holds an MBA from SDA Bocconi.

Ramiro Lopes da silva profile photo
Ramiro Lopes da Silva

Senior Adviser to UN Advisory Alliance

Ramiro Lopes da Silva has over 35 years of humanitarian operational experience. Ramiro was the Assistant Executive Director of the World Food Programme from March 2010 until his retirement in December 2017. He returned in 2021 as the Special Envoy of the WFP Executive Director for the Northern Ethiopia Crisis. He has also held several senior adviser roles, including to the UN Advisory Alliance, where he provides strategic guidance to the team. Mr. Lopes da Silva began his career with WFP in 1985 as food aid logistics coordinator during the Great Horn of Africa and Sahel drought emergency. 

10 years of experience in the UN and strategy consulting​, M.Sc. in International Management from St. Gallen University and Copenhagen Business School​
15 years of experience in the UN, INGO and strategy consulting​, masters in International Management from Luiss Business School
10 years of experience in the UN, strategy consulting and financial services​, double M.Sc. in International Mgmt. from Bocconi and CEMS Global Alliance
Eight years of experience in the UN and strategy consulting​, BA in Economics and a BSc in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia​
Seven years of experience in the UN and strategy consulting​, masters in Management engineering from Politecnico of Milan​
Seven years of experience in management consulting, masters in Middle Eastern Studies from SOAS University of London
Hamza Haloui - Manager
Eight years of experience in the UN and strategy consulting, MS in Applied Mathematics from CentraleSupélec
Five years of exerience in the UN, consulting and public sector​, masters in Project Mgmt. & Innovation from Ecole Polytech. & HEC Paris, M.Sc. in Management from HEC Paris, MPA from Sciences Po Paris​

Interested in working for the UN Advisory Alliance?

Visit the WFP careers page and look for Change Management and Business Innovation positions for our open opportunities.

Opportunities
UNAA staff listen to an engaging discussion sitting around a table
WFP/Jackie Negro

Our history

UNAA was founded in 2021 in pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing global partnerships for sustainable development is critical to meeting our global goals. UNAA is hosted by the World Food Programme.

Since its creation, the team has executed more than 140 projects for senior management of several UN entities, in addition to WFP, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UN Women, UN Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), among others.

By establishing UNAA, WFP opened doors to greater collaboration and opportunities for transformation across the UN system.

Learn more about our projects