19 November 2014: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Lenni Montiel of Venzeuela as the Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for Economic Development in the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

Montiel’s experience in UN development work includes serving as UN Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Turkmenistan, and holding senior UNDP positions in Ukraine and Viet Nam. Montiel currently serves as the Director of Economic, Social and Development Affairs in the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General. He holds a PhD in public policy from the University of Birmingham, UK.

Montiel succeeds Shamshad Akhtar of Pakistan. [UN Press Release]