UNA-Canada Appoints New President & CEO

2024 September 4: The United Nations Association in Canada (UNA-Canada) is pleased to announce that the Association has appointed a new President & CEO. Aki Temisevä took over the reins in this key position on September 3rd. The appointment comes after a rigorous search to identify a successor to Jaime Webbe, who stepped down from this role after 3 years of exemplary leadership.

Mr. Temisevä brings an impressive record of over 20 years of experience as a visionary leader with businesses, from start-ups and Fortune 500 corporations to global not-for-profit organizations including World Vision, ChildFund, Right-To-Play, and Children Believe to his new role with UNA-Canada. Born in Finland, raised in Zambia, and engaged as a C-level senior marketing executive across four continents, Aki Temisevä is a global citizen who believes we can all make the world a better place. He’s been making that happen for people at home and abroad—one organization, action, and human connection at a time. With a proven track record of delivering positive results and driving change as CEO, a Chief Fundraiser, and other C-Suite roles, Aki's experience spans local, regional, national and global entities.

Given that youth engagement and empowerment represent a significant area of UNA-Canada programme priorities, Mr. Temisevä’s experiences with organizations such as Right to Play International and Children’s International Summer Villages will be especially pertinent. His more recent engagement with Ocean Wise will add fresh energy to our programming on sustainable development initiatives.

His concrete experiences unifying organizations and teams behind a growth vision, simplifying the complex, building innovative strategies, and focusing on what counts while executing with excellence, will ground his leadership of an organization whose mission is to educate and engage Canadians in the work of the UN and the critical international issues that affect us all.

Together we believe that a strong and effective United Nations is essential if we are to secure a future grounded in equality, dignity and justice for all. Collectively, we are dedicated to ensuring that UNA-Canada is well-positioned to promote constructive Canadian participation in the United Nations system and to growing global citizens in Canada. Aki Temisevä is excited to join UNA-Canada as its new President and CEO, noting “I am looking forward to building on the excellent work of this historic organization with the current team and all the people who have come before them. My vision is to enable UNA-Canada to become a powerful connector, voice and peace builder in Canada and beyond. An organization keen to listen and to understand, working with everyone to restore hope and belief in a better future in alignment with the UN principles.”

We look forward to welcoming Aki to his new role with UNA-Canada and to engaging with his energy and expertise as, together, we move UNA-Canada forward as a vibrant Canadian civil society organization, ready to build new initiatives and growth.

UNA-Canada and its members across the country would also like to thank Erica Mongiat, who has admirably stepped in as Acting President & CEO, in addition to her key role as our Chief Finance Officer, in the recent transition.