Vanessa Gray works for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency in charge of digital technologies.

Vanessa leads the Development Sector’s work on Emergency Telecommunications and the Environment. She coordinates the work on circular economy and green digital transformation and manages the ITU’s work on e-waste policies and data, which includes the publication of the Global E-waste Monitor, and providing technical assistance to developing countries. Her team also analyzes how technological changes and digital tools can be used for a more circular economy. Vanessa’s role is to foster stakeholder engagement at the national level, to build public-private partnerships, and to identify linkages between the UN, industry, academia, and development and funding agencies to drive evidence-informed implementation of public policies. 

As a Member of the CE-RISE Advisory Board, Vanessa will be able to learn from other members of the board and share new developments and trends on circular strategies with governments, and partners at the international level. She will contribute the knowledge she has gained on efficient and best practices for resource recovery and recycling, including by sharing the latest e-waste data and statistics. 

Vanessa has lived and studied in Germany and Canada, and holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and Economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.