Philippe Martou
Director, Aviation Services, United Nations World Food Programme
Philippe Martou took up his duties as Director of the United Nations WFP Aviation Services on 01 June 2019, after serving as WFP’s Chief of the Preparedness Branch, both positions located in WFP HQ Rome.
Philippe moved back to Rome HQ after years as Head of Area Office, Deputy Country Director or Emergency Coordinator in Eastern DRC, Darfur, Nepal and North-Eastern Nigeria.
Philippe joined WFP in 2001 in DRC and served afterwards in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. He deployed to many sudden onset Emergencies such as the 2004 Tsunami in Banda Aceh, Lebanon, Pakistan, Myanmar, Haiti, the Philippines, Kenya and others.
Philippe was raised in Belgium, and holds a degree in Aeronautical engineering, a Masters in Social and Military science and has several certificates in the aviation industry in Belgium and USA.
In the Belgian Air Force, Philippe flew the C-130, totalling more than 5500 flying hours and participated in several Peace Keeping and Peace Enforcement Operations, such as the Gulf War, Bosnia & Kosovo, Somalia, Rwanda, Zaire, as well as Humanitarian Airlift and Airdrop deployments in Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya and Angola.