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Leadership

The foundation’s leaders come from a broad range of backgrounds and have a diversity of expertise and experience that spans science and technology, medicine, public policy, education, communications, law, and business. Our leaders are guided by the foundation’s mission to create a world in which every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life.

Executive Leadership

  • Mark Suzman

    Mark Suzman

    CEO, Board Member

    Mark Suzman leads the Gates Foundation in advancing its mission to ensure that every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life.

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    Salman Ahmed

    President, Global Policy and Advocacy

    Salman leads the foundation’s work in international political and economic affairs, overseeing relationships with governments, intergovernmental organizations, advocates, and philanthropic partners worldwide.

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  • Carolyn Ainslie

    Chief Financial Officer

    Carolyn Ainslie oversees the foundation’s financial planning and management functions—including accounting, financial analysis, investment strategy and processes, risk and assurance, business management, and the Strategic Investment Fund—as well as strategy and planning more generally.

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  • Lauren W. Bright

    Lauren Bright

    Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary

    Lauren W. Bright leads the foundation’s legal team and is responsible for all legal matters and activities pertaining to the foundation and its affiliate organizations.

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  • Christopher J. Elias

    Christopher J. Elias

    President, Global Development

    Dr. Chris Elias leads the foundation’s efforts to strengthen the systems that make health care more accessible, equitable, and effective.

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  • M Hari Menon

    President, Global Growth & Opportunity

    Hari Menon leads the foundation’s Global Growth & Opportunity Division, which includes the Agricultural Development, Digital Public Infrastructure, Global Education, Inclusive Financial Systems, Nutrition, and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene programs.

    View profile: M Hari Menon

  • Trevor Mundel

    President, Global Health

    Trevor Mundel leads the foundation’s efforts to develop high-impact interventions against the leading causes of death and disability in developing countries.

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  • Alex Reid

    Alex Reid

    Chief Communications Officer

    Alex Reid leads communications for the foundation and is responsible for the strategic use of voice to amplify the foundation’s philanthropic role and impact.

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  • Shana Tarbell

    Shana Tarbell

    Chief Operating Officer

    Shana Tarbell is the foundation’s chief operating officer, responsible for driving much of the daily operations that enable the organization’s mission.

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  • Ankur Vora

    Ankur Vora

    Chief Strategy Officer; President, Africa & India Offices

    Ankur Vora oversees the foundation’s work across Africa and India—two regions central to the foundation’s global mission — and leads enterprise-wide strategy, advising the Chair and CEO on priorities, resource allocation, and major tradeoffs across the portfolio.

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  • June Davis

    June Yoshinari Davis

    Chief People Officer

    June Yoshinari Davis leads the foundation’s people-centered strategies across talent, culture, and organizational effectiveness, which includes human resources and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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  • Anita Zaidi

    Anita Zaidi

    President, Gender Equality Division

    Dr. Anita Zaidi oversees efforts to advance gender equality in all of the foundation’s global work.

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Chair and Governing Board

  • Bill Gates

    Bill Gates

    Chair, Board Member

    As chair of the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates shapes and approves foundation strategies, advocates for the foundation’s issues, and sets…

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  • Mark Suzman

    Mark Suzman

    CEO, Board Member

    Mark Suzman leads the Gates Foundation in advancing its mission to ensure that every person has the opportunity to live…

    View profile: Mark Suzman
  • Ashish Dhawan

    Ashish Dhawan

    Board Member

    Ashish Dhawan is the founder and CEO of the Convergence Foundation (TCF), which is focused on accelerating India’s economic growth…

    View profile: Ashish Dhawan
  • Helene Gayle

    Helene Gayle

    Board Member

    Dr. Helene D. Gayle served as president of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.

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  • Sri Mulyani Indrawati

    Sri Mulyani Indrawati

    Board Member

    Sri Mulyani Indrawati is one of Indonesia’s longest-serving and first female minister of finance, serving under three democratically elected presidents.

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  • Strive Masiyiwa

    Strive Masiyiwa

    Board Member

    Strive Masiyiwa is a Zimbabwean based in London and an international business leader.

    View profile: Strive Masiyiwa

  • Patrick Methvin

    Interim President, U.S. Program

    Patrick Methvin leads the foundation’s efforts to ensure education works as a pathway to good jobs and upward mobility for…

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  • Minouche Shafik

    Minouche Shafik

    Board Member*

    Baroness Nemat (Minouche) Shafik is a leading economist, whose career spans public policy and academia. She is currently on leave…

    View profile: Minouche Shafik
  • Tom Tierney

    Tom Tierney

    Board Member

    Tom Tierney co-founded The Bridgespan Group, an independent global nonprofit focused on helping philanthropists and nonprofit leaders achieve breakthrough results.

    View profile: Tom Tierney

Scientific Advisory Committee

Our Scientific Advisory Committee comprises a group of esteemed experts from outside of the foundation who offer a wide range of experiences and perspectives. This group plays an important role in strengthening our work by offering independent assessments of our Global Health Division strategies and helping us evaluate results.

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Meet our leaders

19 – 27 of 29
  • Lekha Dave

    Lekha Davé

    Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning, and Management

    Lekha Davé oversees strategy and business operations for the Women’s Economic Empowerment team.

  • Lori Newman

    Lori Newman

    Deputy Director, Sexually Transmitted Infections & Gynecology

    Deputy Director, Sexually Transmitted Infections & Gynecology Programs Connect

  • Manu Vatish

    Manu Vatish

    Deputy Director, Drug and Clinical Development

    Dr. Manu Vatish leads the foundation’s efforts to improve maternal and newborn care by developing novel therapies, tools, and strategies.

  • Mark Barone

    Mark Barone

    Senior Advisor, Women’s Health Innovations

    Dr. Mark Barone supports the foundation’s work to discover, develop, and introduce new contraceptive methods as well as expand the availability of existing contraceptives in low- and middle-income countries.

  • Norma Jean Straw

    Norma Jean Straw

    Deputy Director, Gender Equality

    Norma Jean Straw is a Deputy Director leading the entertainment media strategy for the Adolescent and Youth Learning Agenda.

  • Rahul Rawat

    Rahul Rawat

    Deputy Director, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn & Child Health

    Rahul Rawat leads the foundation’s portfolio and grantmaking related to maternal, newborn, and child nutrition.

  • Rasa Izadnegahdar

    Director, Maternal, Newborn, Child Nutrition & Health

    Dr. Rasa Izadnegahdar leads the Maternal, Newborn, Child Nutrition and Health portfolio within the Gender Equality Division.

  • Ru-fong Joanne Cheng

    Ru-fong Joanne Cheng

    Director, Women’s Health Innovations

    Dr. Ru Cheng leads a team that supports the development and adoption of high-quality health products that address the needs of women and girls in low- and middle-income countries.

  • Shweta Suresh

    Shweta Suresh

    Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning and Management

    Shweta Suresh leads strategy and operations for a team that supports women and families by improving access to family planning around the world.

Historical Leadership

  • Melinda French Gates

    Melinda French Gates

    Co-chair (2000-2024)

    Melinda French Gates is a philanthropist, businesswoman, and global advocate for women and girls. She founded and co-chaired the Gates…

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  • Warren Buffett

    Warren Buffett

    Trustee 2006-2021 (emeritus 2021)

    Warren Buffett helped shape our vision and developed strategies to address some of the world’s most challenging inequities.

    View profile: Warren Buffett

  • William Gates Sr.

    Co-chair 2000-2020 (d. 2020)

    William H. Gates Sr. (d. 2020) guided the vision and strategic direction of the foundation and served as an advocate…

    View profile: William Gates Sr.

More about the foundation

Our role

For over 25 years, the Gates Foundation has been committed to fighting the greatest inequities in the world.

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How we work

We are focused on results. Those that can be measured. And those measured in ways beyond numbers.

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Our story

Learn about the origins of the foundation and the values that drive our work.

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