Global strategist

IZUMI Nakamitsu comes across as an easy-going and motherly figure, belying her position and reputation as one of the United Nation's top administrators.

As UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, she is the highest ranking Japanese at the global body. And once she starts talking about her work, it's more than clear she's on top of the challenges in her field and what needs to be done, all conveyed in a very jovial and matter-of-fact manner.

She explains the complicated world of international relations, geopolitical conflicts, and the threat to global security due to increasing cyber attacks, by both state and non-state actors, with a clarity of thought that is an increasingly rare commodity in today's world of social media-friendly sound bites.