Professional Biography Terri Toyota
With over 25 years of professional experience, Ms. Toyota offers
a diverse range of technical competencies and operational
expertise relevant to international and humanitarian
organisations. Ms. Toyota joined the World Food Programme in
1997 and is a Canadian national.
In April 2007, Ms. Toyota was appointed Director, Government Donor Relations within the
External Relations Department. Her responsibilities include managing worldwide resourcing
for the organization through offices in Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Dubai, Paris, Tokyo and
Washington, in addition to her team in Rome. Annually, WFP requires over US$6 billion for
its Operations and corporate needs.
In her previous capacity as Chief, Programming Service, Ms. Toyota led a team of over 30
staff, responsible for the allocation of funds for all WFP projects and operations, including
management of the development portfolio, multilateral resourcing and the Immediate
Response Account (IRA).
In 2003, Ms. Toyota was appointed Deputy Country Director, Indonesia and was
instrumental in implementing WFP’s activities to assist those affected by the Tsunami in
Aceh province. During her tenure, there was a pivotal shift in the nature of WFP’s activities
in Indonesia moving from largely a subsidised rice programme to a set of nutritional
improvement programmes.
As Head of the United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC) in Kabul, Afghanistan, Ms.
Toyota organised the Afghanistan “Winterisation” Initiative in 2002. The objective was to
secure the continued provision of UN humanitarian assistance throughout the winter through
activities such as pre-positioning, avalanche control and snow clearing. On behalf of the UN
Country Team, and in conjunction with local authorities, UNJLC Afghanistan also coordinated and supported the preparations for the Loya Jirga and currency exchange projects.
Throughout her assignments, Ms. Toyota has been actively involved in a corporate priority
called the Business Process Review (BPR). The purpose of the BPR was to identify
efficiencies and improvements possible within WFP’s existing operational and funding
processes. Upon returning to Rome in 2005, the project evolved into the New Business
Model (NBM) under her responsibility. This initiative incorporates a standard methodology
for project management based to improve WFP’s operational efficiency and effectiveness
through regular forward planning.
Prior to joining WFP, Ms. Toyota worked as a management consultant with the Canadian
International Development Agency and other federal governments departments such as the
Privy Council’s Office, Secretary of State, Office of the Auditor General and Revenue
Canada, Customs and Excise. For nearly a decade, she owned and managed a management
consulting firm in Ottawa, Canada.