Episode #20 - Max Gaylard

Max Gaylard was an Australian diplomat who served as the High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands and as Director of International Relations of the Commonwealth Secretariat. Gaylard started working with the UN as a Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, during the Oil for Food Programme. He has also served in UN leadership positions in the occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia, Sudan and more. Gaylard has also served as the Director of Mine Action with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the UN. In this episode, Max Gaylard reflects on his time as a government diplomat and compares this role to that of UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator. He shares his insights on navigating the challenging work of UN leadership and the importance of diplomacy, through various personal examples. Disclaimer: The opinions and memories expressed in the “I Was There” podcast series are those of each individual speaker and do not imply the expression of any opinion or responsibility on the part of UN OCHA.