The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) congratulates Celeste Saulo on her election as the first female secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Saulo, director of the National Meteorological Service of Argentina and currently the first vice president of the WMO, will take office on January 1, 2024.

“I am thrilled with the election. Celeste has been a professional friend and colleague of mine for many years, and I have the greatest respect for her accomplishments and abilities,” said Antonio Busalacchi, the president of UCAR. “She is breaking new ground as the first female secretary-general of the WMO as well as the first from the Americas. She will be a great leader of the WMO in responding to the weather, water, and climate challenges of our era.”

Saulo has held several leadership positions with the WMO, beginning with her election in 2015 to the organization’s Executive Council. She has also served on a number of WMO expert scientific panels. 

Saulo’s research has helped to advance understanding of the South American Monsoon System and associated patterns of precipitation and circulation during the warm season. In recent years, she has focused on such interdisciplinary problems as wind energy production, agricultural applications, and early warning systems.

For more about Saulo’s appointment, see the WMO press release.

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