Amanda Ellis currently serves as Executive Director Hawaii & Asia-Pacific, & Global Director for Strategic Partnerships for the ASU Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability. She was most recently New Zealand Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva and Prime Minister’s Special Envoy.

She served as Deputy Secretary in the NZ Foreign Ministry, and held senior roles at the World Bank Group, where she served as Lead Specialist Gender, managed the President’s Global Private Sector CEO Leaders Forum, founded the IFC gender group and led the Doing Business gender research project.

Ms. Ellis serves on the boards of Hawaii Green Growth, Bishop Museum, the Institute for Climate and Peace, FINCA International and on advisory boards for the World Economic Forum, the Council on Foreign Relations and the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles.  A founding member of the Global Banking Alliance for Women, Amanda is recipient of The International Alliance for Women Lifetime Achievement Award for supporting women’s economic empowerment.