People

Charlotte Warakaulle (born in 1970, Danish) has served as CERN Director for International Relations since 2016.

As the Organization’s first Director for International Relations, Warakaulle has overseen the consolidation and strengthening of CERN’s engagement with Member, Associate and non-Member States, partnership-building with international organisations and platforms, and the widening of education, communications and outreach activities, including the launch of the CERN Alumni Programme and the CERN Science Gateway Project.

She served for over 15 years at the United Nations Office at Geneva in a variety of posts focused on political affairs, strategic communications, partnerships and management. Key posts included Chief of the United Nations Library with responsibility for library services, knowledge management, cultural diplomacy and intellectual outreach; Chief of Political Affairs and Partnership-building, facilitating new multi-stakeholder initiatives for the United Nations, such as the Geneva Peace Talks and the Geneva Peace Week; and Speechwriter and Special Assistant to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to her work with the United Nations, Warakaulle held a Carlsberg Foundation Visiting Research Fellowship at Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge from 1998 to 2001. During her time at the University of Cambridge, she also served as editor-in-chief of the Cambridge Review of International Affairs, a peer-reviewed international affairs journal then published by the Centre of International Studies at the University of Cambridge.

Warakaulle sits on a number of international advisory committees and boards.

Warakaulle gained her MPhil in international relations at the University of Cambridge (Pembroke College) and also holds an MA in history (cand.mag.) from the University of Copenhagen, as well as an MA in history (coursework) from the University of Sydney.