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SIPA Faculty
Elizabeth Leff
International Affairs Building, 13th Floor
Adjunct Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs
Phone: 212-854-3213
el226@columbia.edu
Biography:
Elizabeth Leff works for the United Nations in the Department of Political Affairs. As Donor and External Relations Officer in the Office of the Under-Secretary General, she liaises with donors to mobilize resources for the department, strengthen established relationships and develop new partnerships with non-traditional donors. She is also a key actor in enhancing transparency and accountability in the management of donor contributions and increasing the departments overall focus on results.
She has held a variety of positions in the UN, which she joined through the National Competitive Exam, before her current role. Previously, Ms. Leff worked for the Assistant Secretary General for Human Resource Management helping to design UN reform initiatives and develop the overarching strategy report submitted to the General Assembly. She also worked in Planning, Monitoring and Reporting coordinating with 29 departments across the organization to assess their achievement towards defined goals.
Prior to working for the UN Secretariat, Ms. Leff consulted for the United Nations Global Compact and the World Bank Institute on corruption issues and worked for the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Regional Centre in Bangkok. While in Thailand, she served as the Regional Tsunami Private Sector Coordinator, where she developed and promoted effective capture of private sector contributions to tsunami relief and recovery. She also worked as part of an aid management team to provide practical recommendations for engagement with the private sector in post-disaster situations to enhance accountability and transparency.
For four years, Ms. Leff was a management consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton in the United States and Egypt working predominantly with public sector clients on economic and business analysis and organizational development and change. She has also worked for the European Commission and was a Fulbright fellow in India researching corporate social responsibility. Ms. Leff holds a Bachelor degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University and a Master of Public Administration from SIPA.