The Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Mr Daren Tang, has unveiled his proposed appointments for Deputy Directors General (DDGs) and his appointments for Assistant Directors General (ADGs) for the 2026–2032 term. The outgoing DDGs and ADGs whose terms expire on September 30, 2026 are: Sylvie Forbin (France), Lisa Jorgenson (USA), Hasan Kleib (Indonesia), Wang Binying (China), Marco Aleman (Colombia), Edward Kwakwa (Ghana), Kenichiro Natsume (Japan), and Andrew Staines (UK).
The following appointees were announced for the upcoming six-year term, slated to run from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2032:
The Proposed Deputy Directors General (DDGs)
- Mr. Shen Changyu (China) – Brands and Designs Sector: Mr. Shen served as Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) since 2013. He will oversee the continued modernization of the Madrid, Hague, and Lisbon systems to better serve users and support global innovation in a digital economy.
- Mr. Pascal Faure (France) – Copyright, Creative Economy and IP Governance Sector: Currently the Director General of the French National Institute for Industrial Property (INPI) since 2018, Mr. Faure will lead WIPO’s work on copyright, supporting creators and cultural industries while tackling IP piracy and counterfeiting.
- Ms. Laura Peter (USA) – Patents and Technology Sector: Ms. Peter, whose background includes serving as Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for IP and Deputy Director of the USPTO, will administer the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and WIPO’s programs relating to patents and trade secrets.
- Mr. Mzukisi Qobo (South Africa) – Regional and National Development Sector: Mr. Qobo currently serves as the South African Ambassador to the WTO. In his new role, he will support Member States with tailored technical assistance and capacity-building while advancing the WIPO Development Agenda.
The Assistant Directors General (ADGs)
- Ms. Chitra Narayanaswamy (Switzerland) – Corporate Management and Transformation Sector: A WIPO official since 1999, she most recently directed the Department of Program Planning and Finance & Controller. She is tasked with driving organizational modernization, enterprise-wide efficiency, and financial stewardship.
- Mr. Andrew Staines (UK) – Global Challenges, Opportunities and Partnerships Sector: Transitioning from his current ADG role, the former UK Ambassador to the WTO and UN will foster strategic partnerships and lead WIPO’s work on traditional knowledge and emerging IP issues intersecting with global challenges.
- Mr. Kenichiro Natsume (Japan) – Infrastructure and Platforms Sector: Continuing his mandate as ADG, Mr. Natsume will maintain WIPO’s global digital infrastructure and steer the organization’s initiatives involving artificial intelligence and frontier technologies.
- Mr. Marco Aleman (Colombia) – IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector: Also continuing in his current ADG role, Mr. Aleman will maintain his focus on promoting IP as an economic asset, supporting tech transfer, and providing data-driven insights such as the Global Innovation Index.
Shifts in Geographical and Gender Representation
The allocation of these top executive posts marks a change in gender and geographical representation, as well as representation of the formal country groups at WIPO. While the organisation appoints its Deputy and Assistant Directors General based on individual competence rather than regional quotas, the Director General is required to maintain an equitable geographic and gender balance during the selection process.
The new executive team includes two women, down from three previously.
In terms of regional and group representation,
- Europe increases its representation, securing three positions: one DDG (France) and two ADGs (Switzerland and the UK).
- Group B (developed countries) now occupies five leadership posts, including the three Europeans plus Japan and the USA, up from four previously.
- GRULAC (the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries) holds steady with one position, since Colombia retains its ADG role.
- The Asia-Pacific Group (APG) is no longer represented, as Indonesia is not replaced by a member of APG (given that China and Japan, whilst in Asia, are not members of APG). Note however that the Director General, Daren Tang, is from Singapore, and forms the ninth member of the leadership team.
- Africa elevates its profile slightly. The region transitions from holding an outgoing ADG post (Ghana) to securing a DDG post (South Africa).
Next Steps
These proposals will now head to the WIPO Coordination Committee (CoCo), which will convene for its eighty-sixth session in Geneva between July 7 to 15, 2026. During this meeting, the CoCo is expected to officially approve the appointments of the Deputy Directors General and take note of the Assistant Directors General appointments.
The full announcement is below and is also available on this link.
See our previous coverage of the appointment of the WIPO DG and leadership team, in a blog post by Wend Wendland here.
