UN Secretary-General António Guterres and José Graziano da Silva, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), announced the appointment on Wednesday after consulting with the WFP Board at a special session in Rome.

In a statement, Secretary-General Guterres said that Beasley “brings to the position extensive experience with key governmental and business leaders and stakeholders around the world, with very strong resource mobilisation skills.”

Beasley, who is the Chair of the Center for Global Strategies, was Governor of the state of South Carolina from 1995 to 1999.

He will replace Ertharin Cousin, also a US national, whose five-year term expires on 4 April.

Cousin said she was “impressed” with Beasley's understanding of the organization and the strategic plan that guides WFP's work, as well as his commitment to the UN agency's work and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Cousin led WFP from April 2012 through “a period of unprecedented number of major emergencies,” according to the UN agency.