Pamela Hamamoto

Pamela K. Hamamoto
Born	Hawaii, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Diplomat, civil engineer, investment banker
Years active	1980s–2017
Known for	United States Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations International Organizations in Geneva

Pamela K. Hamamoto is an American diplomat who held the position of the 18th United States Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations International Organizations located in Geneva.

Early life and education

Originally from Hawaii, Hamamoto is one of four siblings born to Howard and Joanne Russell Hamamoto. During her schooling at Punahou School, she was a classmate of future U.S. President Barack Obama. She completed both a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering at Stanford University in 1983, followed by an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management in 1990.

Career

Hamamoto’s professional journey began as a civil engineer with Pacific Gas and Electric Company, where she created computer models aimed at optimizing hydroelectric power generation. She subsequently held positions at GTE Corporation and GTE Hawaiian Tel. In the 1990s, she shifted her career focus to investment banking, working at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch & Co., where she attained the role of vice president in Corporate Finance.

Prior to her ambassadorial role appointed by President Obama, Hamamoto served as a trustee and advisor for various educational organizations in California and was actively involved in fundraising efforts for Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign. She was sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden in May 2014 as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, becoming only the second woman to occupy this position since its establishment in the 1950s. She stepped down from this post in January 2017 following the administrative change to the Trump presidency.

Hamamoto is widely acknowledged for her advocacy of gender equality and women’s empowerment initiatives. During her tenure, the U.S. Mission in Geneva introduced "The Future She Deserves," a program dedicated to addressing gender-based violence, enhancing adolescent girls’ health, fostering economic opportunities, and promoting leadership skills development.