Paul Skoczylas is the director for private sector partnerships based in New York.  Previously, Paul headed the WFP New York Office, leading relations with the diplomatic community, the Security Council and the wider UN system. For more than seven years he led emergency operations for WFP in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, where he set up large-scale digital cash assistance platforms reaching both refugees and host communities. He also developed innovative programmes on digital skills learning and climate-related projects on water, agriculture and food systems. For nearly four years he was head of speechwriting, communications and special projects for the WFP Executive Director in Rome.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Paul was a special assistant to the Under Secretary of State in Washington, where he led communications and speechwriting for economic, trade and development issues, and managed government-wide crisis communications during the 2008-2009 financial, energy and food crises. For nearly four years he was a staff member in the White House Office of Policy Development, launching a number of innovative economic development and anti-poverty initiatives, including passing legislation on chronic homelessness, early childhood, food security and combatting trafficking in persons.

Throughout his career, Paul has been involved in G7/G8 and G20 summits, the World Economic Forum, and the UN General Assembly meetings. He was a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He was a Fulbright Scholar and Rotary International Scholar to Turkey. He has B.A. and M.A. degrees from Georgetown University and was a visiting scholar at Bosphorus University in Istanbul.