CW Day 3/Session 7 - Career Development: How you can turn a Psychosocial Hazard into a Thriving Strategy (UNESCO, United Nations Headquarters (DOS))

Dawn Straiton Mullin is a doctorate-prepared Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with nearly 20 years of experience in counselling, occupational mental health, and staff wellbeing within the United Nations. She currently serves as Chief of the Staff Counsellors Office in the UN Secretariat (DOS), bringing clinical expertise and organizational insight to advancing mental health by addressing psychosocial hazards at work. She has led psychosocial risk assessments across UN settings, from Headquarters to our hardest duty stations.  She has seen firsthand how career development can function as either a risk or a driver of thriving for both mental and physical health.   She is passionate about building psychologically safe, high-performing workplaces where people and organizations can thrive. 
During a 13-month assignment at UNESCO last year, Dawn and Adina explored practical approaches to this challenge, shaping the foundation of the topic presented today.    
 

Margaret Jones has more than 30 years’ experience in the field of human resources, including recruitment and selection, learning and development, and career management. She joined UNESCO in 2014 as Learning Officer and has led initiatives such as career conversations and the introduction of one‑to‑one career support. She has also worked with the United Nations Headquarters in New York, heading the Language & Communications Training Unit to lead multilingualism projects and language teaching. Before joining UNESCO, Margaret worked across the private, public and third sectors.  Margaret has a long‑standing professional interest in how individuals build careers in complex organisations, with a particular focus on personal agency, informed decision‑making, and supporting staff to navigate their development with clarity and confidence.