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Jane Holl Lute

  • Affiliate

Biography

Ms. Jane Holl Lute is the Special Coordinator on improving the United Nations response to sexual exploitation and abuse. Ms. Lute also serves concurrently as the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the relocation of Camp Hurriya residents outside of Iraq.

Prior to re-joining the UN, Ms. Lute served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Internet Security (CIS), an independent not-for-profit with the mission to lead the global community to a secure cyber future.  CIS is home to the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), an organization established to assist the public and private sectors in measurably strengthening their cybersecurity posture.

From 2009 - 2013, Ms. Lute served as Deputy Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  As the Department’s chief operating officer, Ms. Lute was responsible for the day-to-day management of the Department’s efforts to prevent terrorism and enhance security, secure and manage the nation’s borders, administer and enforce U.S. immigration laws, strengthen national resilience in the face of disasters, and ensure the nation’s cybersecurity. 

From 2003-2007, she served as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping responsible for comprehensive on-the-ground support to all UN peace operations worldwide, and from 2007-2008 she established and led the Department of Field Support as acting Under Secretary-General.  Ms. Lute also served as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding, responsible for coordinating efforts on behalf of the Secretary-General to build sustainable peace in countries emerging from violent conflict.

Previously, Ms. Lute was executive vice-president and chief operating officer of the United Nations Foundation and the Better World Fund and worked with David A. Hamburg, former president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Cyrus Vance, former U.S. Secretary of State, on the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict, a global initiative that pioneered global efforts to prevent violent conflict.

Ms. Lute served on the National Security Council staff under both President George H.W. Bush and President William Jefferson Clinton and had a distinguished career in the United States Army, including service in the Gulf during Operation Desert Storm.  She has a Ph.D. in political science from Stanford University and a J.D. from Georgetown University.