Meet the New Top Management Team

WIPO underwent some organizational change in December, when the Organization's top management welcomed several new members to its ranks. The new team, composed of four deputy directors general (DDGs) and three assistant directors general (ADGs), was approved by Member States in the Coordination Committee in June, following proposals put forward by WIPO Director General Kamil Idris. Taking up new appointments on December 1, 2006 were Mr. Michael Keplinger (United States), Mr. Narendra Sabharwal (India), Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama (Nigeria) and Ms. Binying Wang (China). Serving renewed terms are Mr. Philippe Petit (France), Mr. Francis Gurry (Australia) and Mr. Ernesto Rubio (Uruguay).

Mr. Philippe Petit was first appointed to WIPO's top management team in December 2001, following a career in the French foreign service. Before joining WIPO he served as France's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, following previous postings as Ambassador to Sweden, India and Mauritius, other diplomatic postings in China and to the European Union in Brussels, and serving in the Legal Department of the ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has held several senior positions within the French government, including that of Special Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diplomatic Adviser to the Prime Minister.

When he joined WIPO in 2001, Mr. Petit oversaw administrative support services, external relations and cooperation with certain countries in Europe and Asia. Since 2006, he has taken charge of general affairs and administration. Mr. Petit considers as a priority the further improvement of WIPO's overall administrative functioning and accountability, notably through the on-going in-depth review of procurement, contracts and financial rules; the implementation of auditing and oversight reports; and through the implementation of strict processes and controls in respect of the construction project to extend the WIPO headquarters.

Mr. Francis Gurry joined WIPO in 1985, and has served on the top management team since 1997, first as Assistant Director General, then from 2003 as DDG. Before joining WIPO, he practiced as an attorney in Australia, and taught law at the University of Melbourne.

Mr. Gurry will continue to head the WIPO divisions dealing with PCT and patents, the Arbitration and Mediation Center, and Global Intellectual Property (IP) Issues. Mr. Gurry sees...