Ashok Alexander Steps Down from India Office Leadership | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

SEATTLE -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced today that Ashok Alexander will step down from his position as Director of the India country office after almost a decade of service. Alexander set up the office in 2003 and quickly brought his management experience to bear in driving the huge success of the foundation’s HIV/AIDS initiative Avahan.

Alexander set out to demonstrate that public health solutions can be tackled through rigorous business-led principles and the program’s success at reducing the Indian AIDS epidemic and building an HIV prevention model at scale owes much to his entrepreneurial approach. He has overseen Avahan’s transition to full and sustainable government control and his work stands as a model for scaled up public health delivery.

“Ashok has been a driving force behind the success of the foundation’s Avahan initiative,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Avahan has demonstrated that it is possible to build an HIV prevention model at scale in India. The data the initiative continues to create will help HIV/AIDS prevention efforts not only in India, but around the world.”

“Thanks to Ashok’s vision, the impact of the Avahan initiative will be felt beyond HIV/AIDS prevention,” said Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Many of the lessons learned through the program are now being applied in the Indian state of Bihar, where the foundation is working to improve health outcomes, particularly for women, newborns and children under five.”

“Under Ashok’s leadership, our India office has grown from its original focus on HIV/AIDS prevention to one that now supports a wide range of foundation priorities,” said Jeff Raikes, chief executive officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We appreciate everything Ashok has achieved on behalf of the foundation and wish him the best with his new endeavors.”

“Working for the foundation has been life-changing and I am proud of the impact we have made. I have been privileged to have had the opportunity to build and work with a great team focused on supporting the poorest and most marginalized communities and making a contribution to them living healthier and safer lives. I am personally looking forward to pursuing new ventures,” said Alexander, who will leave at the end of June.

The foundation is pleased to announce that Girindre Beeharry, currently Director of Strategy for the foundation’s Global Health program, has been named as the new Director of the India Office and will take up his new responsibilities in July.

“We are fortunate to have a leader with Girindre’s knowledge of the foundation and long experience working with India to build on Ashok’s strong legacy and continue the expansion of our work and partnerships,” said Mark Suzman, Managing Director for International Policy and Programs at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.