Generation Unlimited CEO, Kevin Frey, Concludes Five Years of Transformative Leadership

New York, July 7, 2026 – Generation Unlimited (GenU) at UNICEF announced today that its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Kevin Frey, will step down after five years and transition to a new role at Microsoft Elevate as Vice President and Chief Impact Officer. GenU Deputy Director Dr. Nadi Albino will serve as Acting CEO.

During his tenure, Frey helped expand economic opportunities for the world’s largest youth generation in history. Between 2022 and 2025, GenU reached over 250 million young people, half of them young women, with skilling, employment, entrepreneurship and social impact opportunities. This was achieved by building the world’s first global public-private-youth partnership to support young people to move from learning to livelihoods, especially in green, digital and AI-driven economies.

Under his leadership, GenU drove population-scale impact by bringing the private and public sectors into closer alignment on youth skills and jobs. This public-private model ensures that programmes are relevant to labor market demands and are sustained, scaled, and owned within government systems.

Dr. Kevin Frey said: “It has been my honor and privilege to serve as CEO of Generation Unlimited over the past 5+ years. I am deeply grateful to the millions of young people whose energy, ideas and leadership continue to inspire GenU’s work every day, and to our extraordinary partners and colleagues across the public and private sectors who have made our impact possible. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together.

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to Christian Klein for his leadership as GenU Board Chair and for his ambition and commitment to rally the private and public sectors around opportunity for young people. I also want to thank Alan Jope, GenU's previous Board Chair, whose early guidance and belief in GenU laid the foundations for our success, as well as the entire GenU Board for their continued commitment to advancing opportunities for young people worldwide.

"I am equally grateful to Global Leadership Council Co-Chairs UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and PwC Global Chairman Mohamed Kande for their guidance, trust and support, as well as the previous Co-Chairs, Henrietta Fore, UNICEF’s former Executive Director, whose bold vision led to the creation of Generation Unlimited, and Bob Moritz, former PwC Global Chair.

"While I am moving on to a new role at Microsoft, I will remain committed to our shared mission to equip young people with the skills and opportunities they need to thrive in the jobs of today and tomorrow."

The GenU Board confirmed that Dr. Nadi Albino, currently GenU Deputy Director, will step in as Acting CEO. Dr. Albino, who previously served as UNICEF Representative in Lesotho, is a global development executive with more than 25 years of experience delivering results at scale across complex international development and humanitarian contexts. As Deputy Director, she has played a central role in shaping GenU’s strategy, driving resource mobilization, and building shared-value partnerships with governments, private sector leaders, philanthropies, and young people.

Christian Klein, CEO of SAP SE and Chair of the Generation Unlimited Board, said: "On behalf of the Board, I thank Kevin for his exemplary leadership, vision, and energy. Under his guidance, Generation Unlimited has delivered lasting impact for millions of young people worldwide through a growing network of strong partnerships. We are grateful for how he helped sharpen GenU's strategic focus and mobilized governments, businesses, and foundations around a shared agenda for skills and livelihoods.

"We are also pleased to welcome Nadi Albino as Acting CEO and have full confidence in her leadership. With extensive experience across UNICEF and GenU, she brings the strategic vision, operational rigor, and partnership expertise needed to guide the organization through this transition and continue building on its strong momentum.” 

Mohamed Kande, Global Chairman of PwC and Co-Chair of the Generation Unlimited Global Leadership Council (GLC), said: "As Co-chair of the GLC, I am grateful for Kevin’s vision and dedication. His focus on partnership, scale and practical solutions has contributed to real progress for millions of young people around the world. I am confident that GenU will continue to thrive under Nadi Albino’s leadership. The need to equip young people with the capabilities, networks and pathways to succeed has never been more urgent, and GenU’s model remains essential to meeting that challenge.”  

Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director and Co-Chair of the GLC, said: “Kevin has been a relentless champion for young people, their talents, and their right to shape the future. As GenU CEO, he has helped build impactful partnerships across sectors to expand economic opportunities for young people around the world. We are deeply grateful for his vision and leadership and thank him for his lasting contribution to this generation of young people.”

Nadi Albino, incoming Acting CEO of GenU, said: "I am honoured to step into this role at such an important moment for Generation Unlimited. Building on the strong foundation established under Kevin's leadership, we will continue working closely with partners across sectors, with young people at the heart of everything we do, to expand access to skills and unlock pathways to employment and entrepreneurship.

"Generation Unlimited's strength lies in its ability to partner with governments, the private sector, civil society, and young people to scale solutions that deliver results. I look forward to working with our partners and allies to ensure that more young people, especially those facing the greatest barriers, can access the opportunities they need to build secure, productive futures."

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