Stewart Simonson

Stewart Simonson is a senior adviser with Global Health Strategies in New York City.  From 2019 until 2024, he was the World Health Organization (WHO) representative at the United Nations. Previously, Simonson was assistant director-general for general management at WHO Headquarters in Geneva. He has more than 20 years of experience in governance, international affairs, and public health that spans government, nongovernmental and private sectors. Prior to joining WHO in 2017, Simonson was general counsel to Futures Group Global, LLC, and later resident adviser at Hôpital Sacré-Coeur in Milot, Haiti. Earlier in his career, Simonson served in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in different capacities, including as assistant secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness. In this role, he was the secretary’s principal advisor on public health emergencies and coordinated the development of the government’s position on the revision of WHO’s International Health Regulations (2005). Prior to HHS, Simonson was legal counsel to the governor of Wisconsin. He has degrees in law and political science. Simonson is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.