Led by Executive Director Philippe Duneton, the secretariat staff manage the day-to-day operations of the organization and implement the policies approved by the Unitaid Executive Board. More information on the functions of the secretariat can be found in these by-laws.
Hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the operations of the secretariat are administered in accordance with Unitaid’s constitution and WHO rules.
Unitaid – Global Health Campus,
Chemin du Pommier 40, 5th floor,
1218 Grand-Saconnex
Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 791 12 00
Fax: +41 22 791 48 90
E-mail: unitaid@who.int
Ana is from Spain and has more than ten years’ experience in programme management. She has worked in grant management for multiple international organizations. Ana holds a Master of International Business Management and a post-graduate degree in international cooperation and project management. She joined Unitaid in 2016.
Denitza joined Unitaid in June, 2018. She is an experienced and results-driven programme manager, researcher and evaluator, in fields spanning sexual and reproductive health, and economic development. Most recently, she served as senior programme officer at the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) in New York, where she led the development and implementation of interventions to reach underserved populations with clinical and educational services. She also oversaw the organization’s HIV and Zika programmatic portfolio in Latin America and the Caribbean. Originally from Bulgaria, Denitza holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in public affairs with a focus on international development.
Irina has worked extensively in international development organizations, specializing in finance, business services, risk and compliance. She has held posts at a spectrum of United Nations agencies, including the World Health Organization and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In 2009, she joined Unitaid. “I’ve become very passionate about what Unitaid does. It’s a very interesting mandate, and important for humanity,” Irina says. “What matters to me is contributing to make life better for everyone.” Irina is from Armenia, holds an MBA from the IE Business School in Madrid, is a chartered certified accountant (ACCA), and holds a university degree in English language and history.
Oana works in administration and project support. Before joining Unitaid, she worked as a field trials manager in disease vector control. Oana, a native of Romania, holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and is enrolled in clinical trials post-graduate studies at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Carole has more than 20 years of experience in administration and building management. She worked at the World Health Organization before joining Unitaid in 2011. Carole is from France and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Draurio, a physician, has worked for two decades in epidemiology, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and public health. Before joining Unitaid in 2015, he headed the TB programme in Brazil’s ministry of health. Draurio is from Brazil and holds a degree in medicine and a post-graduate degree in public health.
Kelsey joined Unitaid in 2020 after spending six years working for PATH in the Technology, Analytics, and Market Innovations Division. Kelsey has expertise in diagnostic development and introduction and led public health and user research on new products for maternal and child health, malaria, and HIV. Before that, she worked in Senegal for Tostan, an NGO focused on community development and human rights education. Kelsey holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies and a master’s in public health from the University of Washington.
Thalia has worked for the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ Crisis and Support Centre, where she followed stabilization issues and projects in the Sahel, in Central African Republic, and in the Lake Chad Basin. Prior to this, she worked as a journalist focused on Africa and the Middle East.
Anne-Line has more than 10 years’ experience working in public health in international organisations. Before joining Unitaid in 2017, Anne-Line held positions at the World Health Organization with the Global Malaria Programme and the Expanded Programme on Immunization, and at the Global Fund. She has also worked in the NGO sector in programme management and resource mobilization. Anne-Line holds a bachelor’s in anthropology, and master’s degrees in international relations and international public health.
Katherine has held positions with the United Nations Environment Programme, UNAIDS, the Center for Global Development, the World Health Organization and the Health Metrics Network. She holds master’s degrees in organizational management and public health. She is from the United States.
Mailys came to Unitaid in 2017 with a background in project finance, including a post at the UK Green Investment Bank in London, which seeks to accelerate the country’s transition to a greener economy. As a project finance senior associate, her role was to make investment decisions on renewable infrastructure projects involving offshore wind, energy from waste, waste recycling, biomass and energy efficiency. At Unitaid, her role is to ensure that grant money is used efficiently, and in line with agreements.
She is French, holds a master’s degree in finance, and speaks English, French and German.
Vincent has worked in strategy consulting and healthcare for more than 11 years. He was a principal at Boston Consulting Group before joining Unitaid. He coordinates Unitaid’s COVID-19 diagnostics engagement as part of the ACT-A partnership. He holds a master’s and PhD in quantum physics.
Caroline joined Unitaid in 2016, after six years with the World Health Organization’s Global Polio Eradication Initiative. She has also worked as a cardio technician at Geneva’s Clinique des Grangettes Cardiology Centre. A native of Switzerland, she holds a diploma from the Swiss Health and Social Care Centre.
Alexandra is an expert in programme management and health policy. Before joining Unitaid, she worked on pharmaceutical pricing at the World Health Organization and held a number of positions at the Ministry of Health in her native Canada. She holds a bachelor’s in biochemistry, a master’s in international public health and a PhD in pharmaceutical policy analysis.
Prior to joining Unitaid in 2021, Anne-Isabelle worked as a Program Associate at Grand Challenges Canada where she managed seed and transition-to-scale investments in health innovations for low- and middle-income countries, specializing in sexual and reproductive health and rights. Originally from Vancouver Island, Canada, Anne-Isabelle has field experience in East Africa and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Global Development and Economics.
Jeppe has worked for nearly two decades in human resources management and organizational development. Originally from Denmark, Jeppe has held posts at the World Health Organization, the United Nations Secretariat and with UNICEF in Africa, Asia and the US. He holds a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s degree in law.
Tijana came to Unitaid in 2017 from the United Nations Development Programme, where as an analyst she assessed the impact of Global Fund grants. Her background also includes two years in Tanzania, where she was advisor to a program on prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission. Partway through her time there, she was hospitalized with P. falciparum malaria, which left her with a first-hand appreciation of fast access to diagnostics and treatment. “I kept thinking, imagine having to deal with this without running water, without electricity, without access to healthcare. Not to mention that a lot of the people who get malaria are pregnant women or kids under five, people who are already vulnerable.” On Unitaid’s results team, Tijana evaluates the impact of grant projects. “When people think of impact assessment and evaluation, they think it’s just numbers, but it’s so much more,” Tijana said. “You really need a good understanding of what your program is trying to achieve so you can choose the right measures of success.” Tijana holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Master of Public Health from Charité University in Berlin. She was born in Serbia and immigrated to Toronto as a child.
Serena’s background includes administrative assistant positions in the private sector, notably the world’s second-largest shipping line, Mediterranean Shipping Company, as well as work in the public sector, with WHO’s Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Originally from Italy, Serena finished her university degree with a project on the languages of northern Mozambique, and then earned a master’s degree, with honors, in international tourism from the MIB School of Management, completing some of the studies in Panama. Her three years of living in Africa included time in Kenya, and in Mozambique, where she worked with local people to develop an eco-tourism lodge on the Mozambican island of Ibo. She speaks Italian, English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.
David has an extensive background in financial management, accounting, organizational development and analysis. He served as a director at the United Nations in New York and at the Global Fund before joining Unitaid in 2015. David is from Ireland, and holds a master’s degree in engineering and an ACA certificate.
Mauricio has spent his career in advocacy, partnership building, resource mobilization and development. A Brazilian, he joined Unitaid in 2013 after working as a representative in various countries for UNAIDS. Mauricio is a lawyer and holds a master’s degree in Law and Diplomacy and in International Public Law from the Fletcher School in the US and the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerland.
Alexandre joined Unitaid in 2018, coming from the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) in Sweden, where he served as budget and grant compliance manager. At Unitaid, his role is to ensure that grant money is used efficiently, and in line with agreements. Alexandre has worked in two French nongovernmental organizations, and has field experience in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Middle East. He speaks English, Spanish and French and holds a master’s degree in business administration and development. Alexandre says working extensively on the grantee side of projects has given him a strong view of what to expect from Unitaid grantees.
Smiljka oversees Unitaid’s portfolio of HIV molecular diagnostic and cervical cancer grants. She has extensive experience in programme management and HIV prevention, treatment and care. Originally from Serbia, Smiljka holds master’s degrees in pharmacy and public health.
Claudia has worked for more than a decade in public health and international development in Asia and Africa. Before joining Unitaid, she worked at the Swiss embassy in the United Arab Emirates, as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and as senior program officer in grant management at the Global Fund. Claudia is Swiss and holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Graduate Institute in Geneva.
Jemmy joined Unitaid in 2016, after serving as finance and support services director in the Rwanda office of World Vision International. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s in corporate finance. Jemmy is originally from Indonesia.
Kristen has worked for law firms, NGOs and international organisations. Before joining Unitaid in 2014, she was a legal advisor for Médecins Sans Frontières. Kristen holds bachelor’s degrees in business and laws, is admitted to practice as a lawyer in New South Wales, Australia, and passed the Paris Bar Exam. Kristen is from Australia and joined Unitaid to follow her passion for promoting public health in low-income countries.
Dr. Duneton was instrumental in the 2006 creation of Unitaid. His long career has focused on HIV/AIDS, infectious & tropical diseases and public health. He was twice advisor to Bernard Kouchner of France’s Ministry of Health, practiced medicine in the Infectious Diseases Department of La Pitié Salpétrière hospital in Paris, headed the mission against HIV/AIDS and harm reduction for l’assistance publique, Hôpitaux de Paris. He also led the French regulatory agency for medicines and health products, and chaired the board of the European Medicines Agency.
Akko joined Unitaid in 2017, building on extensive management experience in humanitarian and development settings in Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Niger, Uganda, South Sudan and Zimbabwe. During a decade with Médecins Sans Frontières, he managed programmes and teams that provided quality healthcare during and in the aftermath of armed conflicts, natural disasters and epidemics. He has also held posts at Population Services International in Angola, and as Geneva-based liaison to the Global Fund. Originally from the Netherlands, Akko holds a master’s degree in economics, and a master’s degree in public health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
Danielle joined Unitaid in 2013, after working as a project coordinator with Médecins Sans Frontières in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Niger, South Africa and Haiti. Danielle is from Ireland and holds a master’s degree in global health.
Jide brings his expertise areas of leading strategic business expansion and strategic sourcing opportunities across multiple industries. Before joining Unitaid, Jide coordinated efforts to establish contract manufacturing operations across the EMEA network in the consumer goods industry, led strategic sourcing projects in the pharmaceutical industry and successfully executed change management process improvement projects in the financial services and industrial goods industries. A Nigerian national, Jide holds an MBA from the University of St. Gallen.
Before joining Unitaid in 2020, Irina spent five years as a financial auditor in the nonprofit sector. She has also worked at the French Red Cross as an international financial controller for West Africa, managing the grant from the European Commission and various other international donors. Her field experience includes working as a finance and human resources manager for Oxfam in Haiti and Chad, where she helped implement emergency and development projects.
Irina is French. She speaks English and Spanish, graduated from the Bioforce Institute and holds a master’s degree in global management.
Katerina joined Unitaid in 2016, with a background in market & policy analysis, health economics, and strategy development for multinational and international organisations. Originally from Australia, Katerina holds a bachelor’s degree with a double major–history/government & international relations– and a master’s in health policy.
Anisa joined Unitaid in 2019 from the World Health Organization Department of HIV/AIDS and Global Hepatitis, where she worked on developing normative policies and implementation tools for HIV and HCV treatment and diagnostics. Before that, she was director of the Laboratory Services Team at the Clinton Health Access Initiative, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Anisa holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental health and toxicology from the University of Washington, and a master’s degree in major programme management from the University of Oxford. She is from the United States.
Ivan is the mainstay of Unitaid´s IT department. He joined Unitaid in 2008 from the World Health Organization. Ivan is from France and holds a Baccalauréat Technologique.
Janet joined Unitaid in 2012, bringing a background in strategy development and technical programme management. She has worked in the private sector on pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement, and at the World Health Organization in diagnostics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s in bioscience enterprise. She coordinates Unitaid’s COVID-19 therapeutics engagement as part of the ACT-A partnership.
Thomas combines experience in programme and project management with expertise in global development, global health, human rights, and anti-corruption. Before joining Unitaid in 2019, Thomas worked as a consultant to the World Health Organization, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNICEF, and the European Commission, and as managing director of Transparency International Austria. Originally from Germany, Thomas holds a master’s degree with honors from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, combining business administration with intercultural relations and foreign languages.
Dale joined Unitaid in 2019, coming from the New South Wales Ministry of Health, where he worked in the blood-borne virus unit, predominantly on the rapid rollout of PrEP for HIV prevention. Dale’s background also includes primary health services development and research across Southeast Asia, and neglected and tropical disease policy analysis in the non-governmental sector. Dale holds a double bachelor’s degree in international studies and development studies, and a master’s in public health.
Anna joined Unitaid in 2019, bringing more than a decade’s experience that includes posts in the Unitaid Nations system and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Her background is in programme management, interagency processes and cooperation, and monitoring and evaluation. She holds a master’s degree in international studies from the University of Uppsala in Sweden and a bachelor’s degree in development and economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
Kate has extensive experience in international development, particularly in strategic and operational management. She has worked for NGOs in Cambodia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the US. Her work at Unitaid is underpinned by a belief that impact in global health requires market-minded interventions, designed specifically to serve those with the greatest need. Kate holds a bachelor’s degree in Southeast Asian studies and a master’s in anthropology of development. She is from the UK.
Thomas joined Unitaid in 2015, after working in quality management for Bosch and Stop TB Partnership. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in audit and finance controlling. Thomas has dual French and Swiss nationality.
A British national, Sonia qualified as a UK solicitor in 1994 and has spent more than 20 years providing legal, regulatory and policy advice in the private and public sectors. Sonia joined Unitaid from the private sector in 2009. She holds a master’s degree in jurisprudence and an LLM in European law.
Marina was advisor to the French ambassador for AIDS and communicable diseases at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs before joining Unitaid in 2016. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and master’s degrees in development & social change, and European public management. A native of France, Marina is experienced in advocacy, partnership-building, public relations and public health.
Heather is an expert in programme management and health policy development. Before joining Unitaid in 2016, she was a senior programme officer at the Global Fund. She holds a bachelor’s degree in health service administration and a master’s in public health, focusing on health policy and management. Heather is from the US.
Gauri’s background is in economics, health statistics and programme evaluation. She came to Unitaid in 2015 from the Gavi Alliance, where she was a senior programme manager. Gauri, originally from India, holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, master’s degrees in economics and international economics, and a PhD in international economics. In her spare time, Gauri enjoys reading historical fiction, crime fiction and histories of ancient objects.
Oksana, originally from Ukraine, joined Unitaid in 2013, after positions with UNAIDS and UNOPS. Her experience is in programme management, advocacy, partnership-building and governance. She holds a bachelor’s degree in management and a postgraduate diploma in project management.
Dr. Jennah Kriebel joined the strategy team in 2019 as senior technical manager, strategy and innovation. An American citizen born in Hawaii, she has worked on strategy and innovation with digital players like the AI and robotics startup Scaphe (CEO), the AI language services company MotaWord (COO/CRO), and the big data company Nyriad (CSO); with emerging technology portfolios for the largest healthcare players with the Boston Consulting Group and her independent consultancy, theScaliest; and with biotech startups like Synthetic Genomics and Micronics. She has a PhD in biological materials that self-assemble into nanoscale quantum systems, and has taken medical diagnostics experiments to zero gravity with NASA.
Charlotte is from Sweden. She holds a PhD in international health and a bachelor’s degree in technology and biology. Charlotte has almost 20 years’ experience in international health, including research, consulting, and programme management and oversight. She has worked for several international organisations, including the Global Fund. Charlotte joined Unitaid in 2018.
Ross is an economist and has held positions at the UK Department of Health and Department of International Development, and at the International Labour Office in Geneva. He holds a master’s degree in economics.
Marina joined Unitaid in 2017, with a background in law, international relations and coordination of country partnerships. In her role in the Executive Office, Marina is responsible for providing analytical and strategic support in developing and coordinating corporate partnerships, multilateral initiatives, as well as cross-unit collaboration. Her work also involves resource mobilization and donor relations in close collaboration with the External Relations and Communications team. Originally from Brazil, Marina started her career in corporate law before moving to Angola to volunteer at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and UNDP justice and human rights department. She worked at Unitaid as partnerships officer in 2014-15. Marina holds a MSc. in Human Rights from the London School of Economics, and a law degree from Mackenzie University in São Paulo, and is a member of the State of São Paulo Bar Association.
Stéphanie has more than 10 years’ experience working in public health in both the private and public sectors. Before joining Unitaid in 2019, Stéphanie worked at the World Health Organization with the Expanded Programme on Immunization, focusing on improving access to vaccines in middle-income countries. She has also worked for several NGOs in the field and headquarters, including MSF Access Campaign, and in the private sector for McKinsey & Company. Stephanie holds a Master of Science in Management from Grenoble Business School and a postgraduate diploma in public health from the University of Manchester.
Sarah is a communications specialist with a varied, 20-year background that includes the French film industry, the TV network Eurosport, and more than a decade with public health organizations. Her work with Unitaid has taken her regularly to visit people whose lives have been improved, or even saved, by grantee projects. Hearing their stories and being able to spread them to a wider audience has been one of the most enriching aspects of her career. “When you see the countries, it becomes so real and tangible that Unitaid is making a difference,” she says. “You’re proud to be part of the response, along with all the other players.” Sarah was born in London and raised in France, and holds a master’s degree in communications strategy and cultural project management.
Carol works on a spectrum of writing and editing assignments for Unitaid. She joined the organization in 2017 after many years as a newspaper reporter in Southern California (Times-Advocate, Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register). She is winner of the PEN/West Literary Award in journalism and a published novelist.
With 20 years of experience in international development, Robert has an accomplished track record in leadership and senior management positions establishing and implementing strategies that have delivered significant impact and return on investment. Robert currently leads the Programme Division at Unitaid, responsible for planning, developing and implementing a complex portfolio of health product innovation investments valued at US$ 1.3 billion. Before joining Unitaid in 2012, he served as Head of Operations and Vaccine Deployment for the World Health Organization’s H1N1 Pandemic Response and as Chief Operating Officer of the Global TB Drug Facility. Robert is a dual Kenyan-Canadian citizen and holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s in international development
Nargiza specialises in monitoring and evaluation, data management, analysis and research. Before joining Unitaid in 2016, she worked as a monitoring and evaluation specialist at the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development and as an evaluation consultant for UN agencies. Nargiza holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and public administration and a master’s in political science.
Sophie joined Unitaid in 2016, after holding administrative assistant posts at UNAIDS and the World Health Organization. Sophie is a native of France and holds a BTS compatibilité-gestion.
Richard’s experience has spanned real estate, retail and logistics in the private and public sectors in Switzerland and the US. He is a dual Ugandan and US citizen, and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Jersey City University.
Monica has held jobs in human resources, management and recruitment. Before joining Unitaid in 2015, she worked as human resources manager at SSai Business Consultants, Ethiopia. Monica holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, English literature and journalism, and a master’s in international human resource management. She is from India.
Ombeni comes from Tanzania, with a background in project monitoring, evaluation and research. He joined Unitaid in 2016, after working as an associate specialist at the Global Fund. Ombeni holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s in epidemiology. Ombeni says he finds meaning and fulfilment in his job, because he is working toward the health and wellbeing of others.
Kothi came to Unitaid in 2008 from the World Health Organization, with a background in administration and human resources management. Kothi is from India, holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, numerical analysis & statistics and a master’s in political studies.
Eva brings 20 years of experience in public health at country, regional and global levels primarily with WHO but also with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and Unitaid. Most recently, she was on an assignment from Unitaid to WHO to support the global antimicrobial resistance agenda through the work of the United Nations Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance. From 2016-2018, Eva coordinated Unitaid’s health innovation portfolios on malaria and tuberculosis. Prior to Unitaid, she worked as Health Advisor at Sida in Zambia managing overarching health development cooperation efforts with a focus on health systems strengthening and reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health. From 1998 to 2014, she worked at WHO’s tuberculosis programme in the countries of the former Soviet Union, at WHO Headquarters and at WHO’s country office in Myanmar. Originally from Sweden, Eva holds two Master of Science degrees in Molecular Biology (University of Lund, Sweden) and in Health, Development and Environment (Free University of Brussel, Belgium).
Pamela Nawaggi is a pharmacist and public health professional with 9 years of experience in delivering clinical care and public health programs in native Uganda. Prior to joining Unitaid, Pamela worked as Senior Program Manager for the Infectious and Non-Communicable Disease program at Clinton Health Access Initiative in Uganda, where she led the development and implementation of policies and projects aimed at increasing access to optimal medicines and technologies especially for HIV, TB and Cancer. Pamela holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and a master’s degree in clinical embryology.
Edith joined Unitaid in 2017 after ten years with the World Health Organization. At the WHO she worked in several departments, including the Internal Oversight Service. Edith has a diploma in continuing education from the University of Geneva. She is originally from Cameroon.
A native of Malaysia, Nicole has 10 years’ experience in international procurement and logistics. She joined Unitaid in 2016, coming from the World Health Organization. Nicole holds a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply.
Luca has 20-plus years of professional experience in both private and public international organizations with a strong emphasis on results delivery. Luca has spent most of his career working internationally, based both in the Global South and in Geneva, with a wide variety of partners. His professional skills and expertise include in-depth understanding of operations, project and programme management, dealing firsthand with complex negotiations between multiple stakeholder groups and providing leadership on programme implementation, project planning, donor contracting and capacity development. Before joining Unitaid, Luca served for 13 years at the Global Fund as a regional manager, where he conceived and designed the Differentiation for Impact strategy, a framework that guides Global Fund operations in tailoring investments and processes to specific characteristics of a country.
Kenny is a pharmacist and globally certified procurement and supply chain expert, trained at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK, and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. His work experience spanning over 15 years cut across private sector pharmaceutical industry, academia, international organizations and NGOs in Nigeria, Rwanda, Netherlands and Switzerland. He holds certifications from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS UK), Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP, Canada) and Health and Humanitarian Supply Chain from Georgia Tech, Atlanta, USA.
Momcilo draws on his background as a cognitive psychologist to engage and expand Unitaid’s digital audience. “I’m always thinking about how people perceive and process visual information,” says Momcilo, who creates and curates communications materials for Unitaid’s website and social media. Before joining Unitaid in 2011, Momcilo worked in communications at international organisations including UNHCR, WHO and UNAIDS, in the private sector with Hewlett-Packard spinoff Agilent Technologies, and as a teacher at the University of Geneva, showing students how to create and publish digital content. Momcilo, a dual citizen of Serbia and Switzerland, holds a master’s degree in psychology.
Ademola joined Unitaid in 2017, coming from Clinton Health Access Initiative, where he was access programmes manager in his native Nigeria. Ademola is a pharmacist, holds an MBA degree, and has a background in supply-chain management, with a focus on HIV and viral hepatitis. Before taking his job with Unitaid, Amedola was already aware of what a positive impact the organisation’s projects were having, particularly in helping children living with HIV. “I was a pharmacist at an ARV (antiretroviral) clinic where I experienced first hand the introduction of paediatric dispersible ARVs.”
Maxime is a Canadian communication professional who specializes in digital marketing, multimedia, and strategic communication. He is adept at building and implementing strategies to improve brand awareness, online presence, and audience engagement. Prior to joining Unitaid, Maxime held communication roles with UNICEF, the UN Environment Programme, NGO BirdLife International, media conglomerate Next Digital, to name but a few.
Nicole came to Unitaid in 2018 from Claro Healthcare, a management consulting firm in Chicago, where she was a healthcare financial consultant. Her background also includes time at CVS Pharmacy, where she was an analytics consultant in the specialty drug division. At CVS, Nicole designed analytical tools to help healthcare professionals identify trends in use and adherence for new pharmaceutical products. Nicole also has experience working in global health as an intern at Otsuka Pharmaceuticals in Geneva, an office focused on the development of drugs for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, and at UNICEF headquarters in New York City. Nicole believes the effective use of data is critical to shaping global health policies and priorities.“On the results team, I hope to inform strategic decisions by analyzing, visualizing and presenting data in an accessible and interesting way,” she says. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Denver and a Master of Public Health degree from Yale University, where she specialized in healthcare management and global health. She is originally from Minneapolis, in the United States.
Mārtiņš, originally from Latvia, has more than 20 years’ experience working with UN organizations, specializing in public health issues. Before joining Unitaid in 2016, Mārtiņš worked as adviser on strategy, policy and governance at the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. He studied international economic relations and international law at the Institute of International Affairs in Riga and the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.
Carmen brings more than twenty years’ experience in pharmaceutical policies, partnerships, strategic planning, grant-development and evaluation. Before joining Unitaid in 2012, she worked with diverse international organizations including Médecins sans Frontières, and global health institutions such as the Global Fund, always focused on overcoming barriers to health access, and scale-up of the best drugs and diagnostics in resource-limited settings. She holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, and a master’s in virology.
Luis is a French-Chilean doctor specialised in Global Health (MD at Paris Descartes University), Foreign Relations (MSc at Sciences Po Paris) and Health organisation management (MBA at EHESP). After working as a clinician in France, he joined the NGO Solthis in 2004 as head of mission in Niger. In 2006 he became Chief Executive Officer and transformed this organization into a key global health player in the Francophone world. Luis has also taught Global Health in many universities including Sciences Po Paris and the Sorbonne. He coordinated the health commission of French NGOs and founded the think tank Santé Mondiale 2030.
Before joining Unitaid in 2016, Judith was senior adviser, external relations at UNAIDS, programme adviser on women and girls at UNAIDS, and programme officer, health at UNICEF. Judith has a background in public health, programme management, resource mobilization and managing public/private partnerships. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in business and public policy. She is from the United States.
Julien has many years’ experience in audit, risk management, CSR and project finance, including more than five years with a global health private venture. Julien has also worked as corporate finance project manager and interim head of finance at a public-private joint venture for the Piriou Group. Julien is French and holds a master’s degree in finance.
A British national of Indian origin, Ganesh has expertise in grant management, compliance, financial analysis, risk management and change management in humanitarian and development programmes. Ganesh has held positions at CARE USA, IRC, Christian Aid, and Oxfam. He has worked in South Asia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Africa and the UK. Ganesh holds a bachelor’s in commerce and a postgraduate degree in business administration.
Radana joined Unitaid in 2014, bringing a background in financial analysis and accounting. Radana has worked as a financial accountant in several private companies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international economics and a master’s degree in finance. She is originally from Russia.
Tim has an extensive background in public health management and quality improvement. Before joining Unitaid in 2017, he was strategic communications specialist for the US CDC in Thailand and acting PEPFAR coordinator for the Asia region. Tim has also been managing director for Solve, CWS, and principle officer and ISO quality manager for the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Drug Facility. Tim holds a bachelor’s degree in English and education and a master’s in professional writing.
technical officer, strategy team
Dr. Scott is a global health specialist with over a decade of experience in developing and advancing innovations and products for neglected diseases. “I’m super interested in the idea of scaling up innovations,” Dr. Scott says. “Too often, products are developed but they aren’t brought to scale. They don’t get to the places where we need them. Unitaid is in a good position to do that.” Dr. Scott’s experience spans preclinical to market work, and she has collaborated with stakeholders and partners in resource-limited settings across 30 countries. She received her PhD in international health with a focus on tuberculosis and vaccine development from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has a Master of Public Health and a BS in biology from Florida A & M University. Dr. Scott is from the United States and joined Unitaid in 2018.
Priyanka joined Unitaid in 2020, bringing a background in strategy and policy development, analytics and programme management. She joined us from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, where she worked on Immunization Financing Sustainability and Vaccine Innovation Prioritization Strategy. She has worked previously in the UN system, IT and strategy consultancies.
Priyanka has an engineering degree in Information Technology from Rajasthan University, India and a Masters in Development Practices from Sciences Po, Paris (France). She is from India.
Dessie came to Unitaid in 2017, after posts with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Habitat for Humanity International and UNDP. She started her career in private equity and strategic consulting in London and has experience in project and grant management in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. Dessie, originally from Bulgaria, holds an international organisations MBA degree from the University of Geneva and a bachelor’s from University of Bath in politics and economics with a focus on health and development economics.
Romane, from France, has a background in programme management. She joined Unitaid in 2013, after working as a project manager at DMI Associates, a consulting firm that specialises in public policies and economic development. Romane holds a master’s degree in management from EDHEC Business School, and a master’s in economics from the University of St Andrews.
Catherina is an expert in intellectual property and pharmaceutical supply & regulation. She came to Unitaid in 2011 after World Health Organization posts in Guinea, Indonesia, India and the Philippines. Before joining WHO she worked with a medicine-supply NGO in Uganda. Catherina says her career has been guided by an abiding interest in the subject matter. “I enjoy the combination of the technical and the practical,” she says. “And I believe in what I do. I believe that everybody should have access to medicine and treatment.” Catherina is from the Netherlands and holds master’s degrees in pharmaceutical sciences and political science.
Alessandra has a background in programme coordination and public health. Before joining Unitaid in October 2020, she worked as a programme officer with various international organizations, including the WHO Health Emergency Programme for the Ebola response and the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.
Prior, she worked with UNHCR on HIV policy and strategic planning. Alessandra, originally from Italy, holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Durham University and a master’s degree in public health, focusing on control of infectious diseases, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Essien came to Unitaid in 2017 from the World Health Organization, where as a member of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, he worked on strategic planning for responses to the Ebola and Zika outbreaks. He has also worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a management consultant. Essien holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in public health. He is from the US.
Monique has an extensive background in accounting, auditing, financial analysis and reporting. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and is a Certified Chartered Accountant. Monique was director of management reporting at the University of British Columbia in her native Canada, and worked at the World Health Organization before joining Unitaid in 2012.
Pablo, a medical doctor, came to Unitaid in 2018 and is working on Unitaid’s malaria grants. He has held various posts with the government of his native Chile, including at the National Health Fund (FONASA). He has also worked as a health systems consultant for US firms in support of universal health coverage in primary care in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. His interest in global health grew out of his membership on the board of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations. He served on the board at the same time he was doing his medical internship. “I started to be more familiar with public health, and I could see how much you can achieve through it—more than treating just one patient at a time.” Pablo holds an MD from the Universidad de Chile, with training in public health and global health diplomacy. In his free time, he enjoys doing CrossFit and yoga.
Matthieu has a background in accounting, auditing, and financial analysis and reporting. Before joining Unitaid in 2016, Matthieu worked as an associate finance officer and programme officer at the Global Fund. He holds master’s degrees in management and administration.
Yasmin joined Unitaid in 2019, bringing over eight years of broad global health experience in research and international organizations. She most recently worked with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance as a senior programme manager overseeing the HPV vaccine programme. Prior to Gavi, Yasmin worked for the Global Health Group at the University of California, San Francisco, landscaping supplementary malaria vector control tools and working with national malaria programmes to build entomological capacity to conduct surveillance in Namibia, Mozambique and Panama. She also has a background in sustainable development and clinical research coordination. Originally from the United States, Yasmin holds a master’s in public health and is completing an MBA in the management of international organizations.
Dr. Yohannes has an extensive background in medical parasitology, epidemiology and public health. He has worked at the Ministry of Health in his native Ethiopia, and at the World Health Organization. In 2010 he joined Unitaid, where his focus is malaria control. Dr. Yohannes holds master’s degrees in medical parasitology and public health and a PhD in health studies.
