Winnie Byanyima to chair IIED board after UNAIDS term

Winnie Byanyima, the current executive director of UNAIDS, will transition to a new international leadership role in January 2027. She has been named the incoming chair of the board of trustees for the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), a London-based research and policy organization.

Byanyima will complete her mandate at UNAIDS on December 31, 2026. Following her departure, UNAIDS will appoint an interim head while a search for her successor is conducted. At IIED, she will succeed Paul George, overseeing the institute’s strategy and finances. Her new role will focus on climate change, inequality, and sustainable development.

Byanyima, a former Member of Parliament in Uganda, has held senior positions at Oxfam International and the United Nations. IIED leadership noted that she brings extensive experience in social justice and a global perspective to the institute, which has focused on environmental and development challenges for over 50 years.