Director-General of the World Trade Organization
The Director-General of the World Trade Organization holds the highest permanent office of the World Trade Organization, and is responsible for supervising the administrative functions of the organization. Because World Trade Organizations are made by member states (through either a Ministerial Conference or through the General Council), the Director-General has little power over matters of policy - the role is primarily a technical one.The current Director-General is Supachai Panitchpakdi of Thailand.
Past Directors-General
This is a list of former holders of the office of director-general. The post was created in 1965, although the earlier office of Executive Secretary is often seen as a direct equivalent.
| Name | Took Office | Left Office | Country | |
| 1 | Eric Wyndham White | 23 March 1965 | 6 May 1968 | United Kingdom |
| 2 | Olivier Long | 6 May 1968 | 1 October 1980 | Switzerland |
| 3 | Arthur Dunkel | 1 October 1980 | 1 July 1993 | Switzerland |
| 4 | Peter Sutherland | 1 July 1993 | 1 May 1995 | Ireland |
| 5 | Renato Ruggiero | 1 May 1995 | 1 September 1999 | Italy |
| 6 | Mike Moore | 1 September 1999 | 1 September 2002 | New Zealand |
| 7 | Supachai Panitchpakdi | 1 September 2002 | (present) | Thailand |