Mariam Toure

Mariam joined Unitaid in 2021.  She started her career doing gene sequencing in an HIV lab then pivoted to managing public health projects. After a few years managing a diverse portfolio of projects for an NGO in Mali, she worked on program quality improvement for TB projects at the Global Fund and grant management at Gavi.  Her current portfolio at Unitaid includes TB diagnostics and TB treatment grants.

Mariam holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a master’s degree in public health from The University of Arizona.  She is from Mali.

Matthew Black

Matthew joined Unitaid in 2021 to oversee a portfolio of malaria grants, with over 20 years’ of experience working in development settings including more than 15 years advising and managing public, private and Civil Society projects in the Sub-Saharan African health sector. Before Unitaid, Matthew managed a series of Global Fund grants on HIV, TB, malaria and COVID-19  at the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Namibia, where he was seconded from GIZ.  He holds post-graduate qualifications in both International Development and Health Economics.

Evaezi Otuorimuo

Before joining Unitaid, Evaezi worked in an NGO in Nigeria where she supported gender-based  initiatives and supported capacity-building projects for women in rural communities surrounding Abuja. While in France, she worked with the Métropole de Lyon and with the association Dialogues en humanité, and as a consultant with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS). Evaezi has also previously worked in WHO, the Global Protection Cluster at the UNHCR and in IOM (CCCM Cluster).

Evaezi is a Nigerian national and holds a Bachelor’s in International Relations from Covenant University, Nigeria and two Master’s which she completed at the University of Lyon, France: one in Ethics, Ecology and Sustainable Development and the other one in Territory Management and Local Development with a specialization in Rural Development.

Luca Occhini

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 program management, dealing firsthand with complex negotiations between multiple stakeholder groups and providing leadership on program 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.

Thomas Gradel

Thomas combines experience in program 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. He speaks English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian.

Anna Hellstrom

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.

Charlotte Kristiansson

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.

Jan Akko Eleveld

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.