Katie Sams earned a master's degree in International Relations, with a specialisation in International Law, from the Geneva Graduate Institute in 1997, having already earned a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1994. 

She has extensive international experience working at the intersection of peacebuilding, dialogue, conflict resolution, and humanitarian action, collaborating with governments, international organisations, civil society groups, and donors in complex global contexts.

She spent over two decades with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), where she held several senior leadership positions, including Director of Financial Resources and Logistics, Chief of Staff in the Office of the Director-General, and Head of the Civil Society Relations Unit. Most recently, she served as Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. 

Following her appointment as Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation, she said, "Throughout my career, I have seen how dialogue, cooperation, and principled leadership can help address complex challenges and build more sustainable peace. These are values that Kofi Annan championed throughout his life and that continue to resonate around the world today." and affirmed her dedication to its causes. 

A version of this text was originally published on the Alumnae·i portal. 

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