The United Nations World Food Programme has named Luke J. Lindberg as its next executive director, putting a new leader at the helm of the world’s largest humanitarian food-assistance agency at a time when conflict, extreme weather and funding shortages are stretching its operations.
The appointment was made by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Qu Dongyu after consultations with the WFP Executive Board at a special session in Rome on September 18.
Lindberg succeeds Cindy McCain after an interim period
Lindberg, a U.S. citizen, succeeds Cindy McCain, who led the WFP from April 2023 until May 2026. Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Carl Skau has served as acting executive director since June while the search for a permanent successor was carried out.
The WFP said Lindberg currently serves as U.S. Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. Before joining the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2025, he led South Dakota Trade, a public-private organization focused on expanding international markets for exporters. His earlier roles included work at the Export-Import Bank of the United States and Sanford Health.
A leadership change during a difficult humanitarian cycle
The timing of the transition is significant. The WFP says as many as 266 million people are facing acute food insecurity globally because of conflict, extreme weather and economic hardship. The agency works across dozens of countries and remains one of the central international institutions responding to hunger emergencies.
That mission has become harder as multiple crises overlap. Fighting in parts of the Middle East and Africa, displacement, climate shocks and high food and transport costs have increased demand for assistance at the same time humanitarian agencies have warned about funding gaps.
In a statement welcoming the appointment, WFP Executive Board President Carla Barroso Carneiro said addressing global hunger had “never been more urgent” and emphasized cooperation between the new executive director and the board.
What comes next
Lindberg will inherit an organization balancing immediate emergency response with longer-term work aimed at resilience, logistics and food security. The WFP’s operational footprint means decisions on funding priorities, crisis response and partnerships can have direct consequences for millions of people.
His appointment also arrives as the agency is responding to new emergencies while trying to maintain existing programs. In recent days, WFP has highlighted worsening needs in Yemen, Sudan, Haiti and other locations, illustrating how quickly humanitarian demand can shift.
The leadership change itself does not alter WFP’s mandate, but it places Lindberg at the center of negotiations with donor governments, UN institutions and private-sector partners over how to finance and prioritize that mandate.
Sources: World Food Programme statement, United Nations Secretary-General’s office, Reuters reporting on September 18, 2026.
