Programme: Cambridge Executive MBA 2012
Country: Canada
Company: Project Leader, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
Education: University of Montreal
My most recent role is with the GAVI Alliance, a US$1.5 billion fund supporting national immunisation programmes for children in developing countries.
“Born and raised in Canada, I took my first international assignment in External Relations for the United Nations’ HQ in Geneva, Switzerland during the global SARS outbreak in 2003. I was tasked, in the aftermath, to run the World Health Organization’s (WHO) public relations service and subsequently joined RBM in 2005, a public-private partnership engaged in the global fight against malaria, to coordinate advocacy projects with the private sector and the HIV/Aids community. In 2008, I coordinated a global health campaign for Bloomberg Philanthropies, inciting countries to implement tobacco control policies. I then participated in field missions to developing countries to assess their capacity in meeting international health standards and managing vaccines supplies and cold chain requirements.
“My most recent role is with the GAVI Alliance, a US$1.5 billion fund supporting national immunisation programmes for children in poor countries. I have been the lead on reputation management and crisis communications around GAVI’s grants to more than 70 countries. My work also consists of developing and implementing strategic communication plans to secure multi-year pledges from G20 governments. Another core aspect of this position is managing relationships with former Heads of State, royal family members, CEOs of S&P-listed companies, etc. to feature immunisation in fora such as the World Economic Forum.
“There is no single route to take you to the top of your next challenge but I have always favoured rigorous and integrated solutions that work experience alone can’t provide. The Cambridge Executive MBA was the obvious choice for me. I am confident that the programme will set me on a solid entrepreneurship path and senior management trajectory while providing me with a top-of-class approach to running a sustainable business. The programme is designed to help those with little finance or economics background to understand and leverage key business concepts essential to making the right investment decisions. The mutual learning in a group of highly motivated people who are willing, just like me, to change their outlook on life, combined with the experience of learning how to better lead, will undoubtedly help me bring my career to the next level.”