Mr. Douglas Frantz took up his duties as Deputy Secretary-General on 2 November 2015. In this role, he will actively contribute to the strategic direction of the OECD’s development agenda, notably in the context of the cooperation with the United Nations toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. He will also, in addition to focusing on OECD’s regional initiatives in South East Asia, the MENA region, Latin America and Africa, oversee the Organisation's global relations portfolio. This will include outreach and the accession processes of candidate countries, enlarging the scope of cooperation with key partners and extending the OECD’s position as a leading player in evidence-based policy analysis and dialogue to meet global economic, social and environmental challenges. An American citizen, Mr. Frantz comes to the OECD from the U.S. State Department, where he was Assistant Secretary of State of Public Affairs. He was responsible for communications and social media worldwide, leading a bureau of more than 300 staff. Before joining the State Department, he worked for then-Senator John Kerry as deputy staff director and chief investigator of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was a newspaper reporter and editor for more than 35 years, reporting from 40 countries and covering major conflicts including both Gulf wars and the Afghan war. He shared a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the aftermath of 9/11 while at the New York Times. He also is the author of 10 nonfiction books. Mr. Frantz holds a B.A. from DePauw University, and a Master of Science from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.