Updates
Global Fund Executive Director Selection Moves to Final Phase with Five Finalists
GENEVA – The Executive Director Nomination Committee (EDNC) has completed the first phase of the selection process for the next Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund), selecting five finalists from a strong and diverse global pool of candidates to be considered by the Global Fund Board. Oversight of the final phase of the selection process will now transition to the current leadership of the Global Fund Board.
The five finalist candidates in alphabetical order are:
Mark Dybul is the former Executive Director of the Global Fund, which he led from 2013 to 2017. Previously, he served as the United States Global AIDS Coordinator, leading the implementation of PEPFAR. Since leaving the Global Fund, he has worked across academia, global health policy and biotechnology, including at Georgetown University.
Richard Hatchett is the outgoing Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which he has led since 2017 and through the COVID-19 pandemic. A physician by training, he previously held senior roles in the US Government, including at the White House, Department of Health and Human Services and BARDA, focused particularly on pandemic preparedness and health security.
Lutz Hegemann is President of Global Health at Novartis, where he leads the company’s work spanning drug discovery, development, access and implementation in global health. He also oversees the company’s operations in Africa. A physician and scientist by training, he has held a range of senior leadership positions during a long career at Novartis, with particular experience in malaria and neglected tropical diseases.
Joyce Msuya most recently served as the Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), including a period as Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator. Previously, she held senior leadership roles at the UN Environment Programme, including as Deputy Executive Director and Acting Executive Director, following a long career at the World Bank Group working across Africa, Asia, and international development.
Janti Soeripto is President and Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children US. She previously held senior leadership roles at Save the Children International, including as Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer. Earlier in her career, she spent more than 15 years in the private sector, principally with Unilever, working internationally across finance, strategy and operations.
When the recruitment process was launched in February 2026, the Executive Director Nomination Committee (EDNC), supported by executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates, completed a global outreach process to identify a strong, diverse and competitive pool of candidates reflecting the competencies outlined in the Executive Director Terms of Reference [ download in English | Español | Français ]. Over the summer, the EDNC assessed candidates, including through multiple rounds of interviews, progressively narrowing the field to the candidates whose experience and qualifications most closely align with the requirements of the role.
“The Vice-Chair and I are deeply grateful to the Nomination Committee for the rigor, diligence and integrity they have brought to this process,” said Roslyn Morauta, Chair of the Global Fund Board. “They have led a merit-based, transparent and well-governed process, carefully balancing the confidentiality of candidates with the Board’s responsibility to identify the strongest possible leader for the Global Fund. We have full confidence in the work undertaken to date and in the strong foundation it provides as we take the selection process forward.”
In the next phase, the final shortlisted candidates will be invited to meet with the Board Members at the upcoming Board retreat, followed by several weeks of engagement with Board constituencies before the final selection at the end of October.
The Board is scheduled to appoint the next Executive Director at its 56th Board Meeting, to be held in Geneva from 28-30 October 2026. The incoming Executive Director will assume office during the first quarter of 2027.