Izumi Nakamitsu

Nakamitsu is responsible for managing global threats posed by weapons of mass destruction, conventional weapons, and nuclear proliferation. She has a reputation for clearheaded pragmatism, proven in previous UN roles involving refugees and crisis response. Her diplomatic skills have been tested by the use of chemical weapons in Syria, but her quiet activism has helped prevent runaway conflict across the region. —Brian Finlay, CEO, the Stimson Center