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
CEO, Board Member
View profile: Mark SuzmanMark Suzman leads the Gates Foundation in advancing its mission to ensure that every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life.
-
Salman Ahmed
President, Global Policy and Advocacy
View profile: Salman AhmedSalman leads the foundation’s work in international political and economic affairs, overseeing relationships with governments, intergovernmental organizations, advocates, and philanthropic partners worldwide.
-
Carolyn Ainslie
Chief Financial Officer
View profile: Carolyn AinslieCarolyn 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.
-
Lauren Bright
Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary
View profile: Lauren BrightLauren 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.
-
Christopher J. Elias
President, Global Development
View profile: Christopher J. EliasDr. Chris Elias leads the foundation’s efforts to strengthen the systems that make health care more accessible, equitable, and effective.
-
M Hari Menon
President, Global Growth & Opportunity
View profile: M Hari MenonHari 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.
-
Trevor Mundel
President, Global Health
View profile: Trevor MundelTrevor Mundel leads the foundation’s efforts to develop high-impact interventions against the leading causes of death and disability in developing countries.
-
Alex Reid
Chief Communications Officer
View profile: Alex ReidAlex Reid leads communications for the foundation and is responsible for the strategic use of voice to amplify the foundation’s philanthropic role and impact.
-
Shana Tarbell
Chief Operating Officer
View profile: Shana TarbellShana Tarbell is the foundation’s chief operating officer, responsible for driving much of the daily operations that enable the organization’s mission.
-
Ankur Vora
Chief Strategy Officer; President, Africa & India Offices
View profile: Ankur VoraAnkur 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.
-
June Yoshinari Davis
Chief People Officer
View profile: June Yoshinari DavisJune Yoshinari Davis leads the foundation’s people-centered strategies across talent, culture, and organizational effectiveness, which includes human resources and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
-
Anita Zaidi
President, Gender Equality Division
View profile: Anita ZaidiDr. Anita Zaidi oversees efforts to advance gender equality in all of the foundation’s global work.
Chair and Governing Board
-
Bill Gates
Chair, Board Member
View profile: Bill GatesAs chair of the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates shapes and approves foundation strategies, advocates for the foundation’s issues, and sets…
-
Mark Suzman
CEO, Board Member
View profile: Mark SuzmanMark Suzman leads the Gates Foundation in advancing its mission to ensure that every person has the opportunity to live…
-
Ashish Dhawan
Board Member
View profile: Ashish DhawanAshish Dhawan is the founder and CEO of the Convergence Foundation (TCF), which is focused on accelerating India’s economic growth…
-
Helene Gayle
Board Member
View profile: Helene GayleDr. Helene D. Gayle served as president of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.
-
Sri Mulyani Indrawati
Board Member
View profile: Sri Mulyani IndrawatiSri Mulyani Indrawati is one of Indonesia’s longest-serving and first female minister of finance, serving under three democratically elected presidents.
-
Strive Masiyiwa
Board Member
View profile: Strive MasiyiwaStrive Masiyiwa is a Zimbabwean based in London and an international business leader.
-
Patrick Methvin
Interim President, U.S. Program
View profile: Patrick MethvinPatrick Methvin leads the foundation’s efforts to ensure education works as a pathway to good jobs and upward mobility for…
-
Minouche Shafik
Board Member*
View profile: Minouche ShafikBaroness Nemat (Minouche) Shafik is a leading economist, whose career spans public policy and academia. She is currently on leave…
-
Tom Tierney
Board Member
View profile: Tom TierneyTom Tierney co-founded The Bridgespan Group, an independent global nonprofit focused on helping philanthropists and nonprofit leaders achieve breakthrough results.
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.
Meet our leaders
-
Martien Van Nieuwkoop
Director, Agricultural Development
Martien van Nieuwkoop leads the foundation’s work to support smallholder farmers, especially women, to become more productive, increase their incomes, strengthen their communities and local economies, and improve their resilience against climate change.
-
Meetu Kapur
Director, Nutrition
Meetu Kapur leads the Nutrition portfolio within the Global Growth and Opportunity Division.
-
Michael Wiegand
Director, Inclusive Financial Systems
Michael Wiegand leads the foundation’s work to make high-quality financial services widely accessible to people throughout the developing world.
-
Najib Bateganya
Deputy Director, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene
Najib Bateganya leads the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene team’s efforts to advance inclusive and safely managed sanitation, through legacy investments and commitments with international funding institutions and global and regional partners.
-
Obai Khalifa
Deputy Director, Agricultural Development
Obai Khalifa oversees the foundation’s agricultural development work in Africa.
-
Rebecca Mann
Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning & Management
Rebecca Mann leads strategic planning, financial management, and business operations.
-
Renee Lafitte
Director, Crops Research and Development
Renee Lafitte leads the program’s crop research and development work.
-
Samuel Thevasagayam
Director, Livestock Team
Dr. Samuel Thevasagayam leads the program’s livestock portfolio, overseeing implementation of the foundation’s strategy for animal health, animal production, and animal systems.
-
Sanjay Jain
Director, Digital Public Infrastructure
Sanjay Jain leads the foundation’s work to encourage and equip low- and middle-income countries to adopt safe and inclusive digital public infrastructure.
Historical Leadership
-
Melinda French Gates
Co-chair (2000-2024)
View profile: Melinda French GatesMelinda French Gates is a philanthropist, businesswoman, and global advocate for women and girls. She founded and co-chaired the Gates…
-
Warren Buffett
Trustee 2006-2021 (emeritus 2021)
View profile: Warren BuffettWarren Buffett helped shape our vision and developed strategies to address some of the world’s most challenging inequities.
-
William Gates Sr.
Co-chair 2000-2020 (d. 2020)
View profile: William Gates Sr.William H. Gates Sr. (d. 2020) guided the vision and strategic direction of the foundation and served as an advocate…
More about the foundation
Our role
For over 25 years, the Gates Foundation has been committed to fighting the greatest inequities in the world.
How we work
We are focused on results. Those that can be measured. And those measured in ways beyond numbers.
Our story
Learn about the origins of the foundation and the values that drive our work.