Dato’ Seri Maimunah Sharif has brought great pride to the nation with her election to the position of executive director for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in January 2018. This role is based at the organisation's headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. In January 2022, she was re-elected by the UN General Assembly for another two-year term, which extends until January 2024. As executive director, she has been dedicated to the revitalisation and transformation of the agency, earning widespread recognition for her efforts to make the organisation a nimble and innovative leader in addressing urban issues.

Maimunah is celebrated for her people-centric approach to urban planning and her commitment to advocating for marginalised individuals and communities. Before her tenure with the UN, she served as mayor of Penang Island. In another historic achievement, she was also the first woman to be appointed as president of the Municipal Council of Seberang Perai in 2011. As mayor, she played a pivotal role in realising the council's vision of creating a "cleaner, greener, safer, and healthier place to work, live, invest, and play." Additionally, she championed Gender-Responsive Participatory Budgeting and Planning, a framework that integrates gender perspectives into the government's decision-making process.

Maimunah Sharif was born and raised in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan. She holds a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Town Planning Studies from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology and a Master of Science in Planning Studies from the Malaysia Science University. She is married to Adli Lai and is the mother of two daughters.