Helen Clark was the prime minister of New Zealand for three successive terms from 1999 to 2008, after an extensive parliamentary and ministerial career. In April 2009, Clark became administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. She was the first woman to lead the organization and served two terms. In July 2020, she was appointed by the director-general of the World Health Organization as a co-chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
