Led by the Executive Director, Mr Lelio Marmora, the Secretariat staff manage the day-to-day operations of the organization and implement the policies approved by the Executive Board. More information on the functions of the Secretariat can be found in these by-laws.
Hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the operations of the Secretariat are administered in accordance with the Unitaid Constitution and WHO rules.
Chemin de Blandonnet 10 –
BIBC III – 8th Floor
1214 Vernier, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 791 12 00
Fax: +41 22 791 48 90
E-mail: unitaid@who.int
Hailing from Nigeria, Wale has worked in project and grant management for more than five years. Before joining Unitaid, he worked as the Deputy Director of the Global Maternal and Newborn Programme at the Clinton Health Access Initiative. Olawale holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cell Biology and Genetics, and a Master’s in Public Health.
Ana is from Spain and has ten years of experience in programme management. She previously worked in grant management for multiple international organizations. Ana holds a Master’s in International Business Management and a post graduate degree in International Cooperation and Project Management.
An Armenian, Irina has 17 years of experience in finance, financial management, analysis and reporting, financial policies and compliance. Irina qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA/ACCA) in 2006 and holds a university degree in English Language and History. She has been working at Unitaid for the past seven years.
A native of Romania, Oana has more than 5 years of experience in administration and project support. Before joining Unitaid, she worked as a Field Trials Manager in disease vector control. Oana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and is enrolled in Clinical Trials postgraduate studies at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
She is a native of France with more than 20 years of experience in administration and building management. Carole worked at the World Health Organization before joining Unitaid six years ago. Carole holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
A Brazilian, Draurio has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of Epidemiology, HIV/AIDS, TB and Public Health. Before joining Unitaid, served as Head of the National TB programme in the Ministry of Health in Brazil. Draurio holds a degree in Medicine and a postgraduate degree in Public Health.
She has been working in global health for over fifteen years and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Master’s degrees in Organizational Management and in Public Health. Prior to her current role, she held positions with the United Nations Environment Programme, UNAIDS, The Center for Global Development, the World Health Organization and the Health Metrics Network. Katherine is originally from Nevada, USA.
A French national, has worked in Strategy Consulting and Health Care for 10 years. He was a Principal at The Boston Consulting Group prior to joining Unitaid. Vincent holds a Master’s degree and a PhD in Quantum Physics.
Before joining Unitaid in October 2016, Caroline worked for six years with the World Health Organization on the recruitment, on-boarding and field mission management of international consultants in support of the Polio Eradication Initiative. Prior to working for WHO, she worked as a cardio-technician at Geneva’s Clinique des Grangettes Cardiology Centre. A native of Switzerland, she holds a diploma from the Swiss Health and Social Care Centre for professional training.
A Canadian, Alexandra has many years of experience in programme management and health policy. Prior to Unitaid, she worked on pharmaceutical pricing at the World Health Organization and held a number of positions at the Ministry of Health in Canada. Alexandra has been working at Unitaid for 5 years. She holds a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry, a Master’s in International Public Health and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Policy Analysis.
Nadia is Swiss, and a native of Tunisia. She holds a Master’s degree in Translation (English, French and Arabic), and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Civilization. Nadia has worked in different UN organizations (UNOPS, WIPO,WTO), before joining Unitaid in February 2017 to provide administrative support to the Executive Office team.
Jeppe is from Denmark and worked in HR management, organisational development and analysis for more than 15 years. Prior to joining Unitaid, he worked with the World Health Organization, the UN Secretariat and UNICEF in Africa, the USA and Asia. Jeppe holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Law.
David is Irish and has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of financial management, accounting, organizational development and analysis. Before he joined Unitaid to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, he was a Director at the UN in New York and at the Global Fund in Geneva. David holds a Master’s degree in Engineering and an ACA certificate.
He has spent his career in advocacy, partnership building, resource mobilization and development. A Brazilian, Mauricio joined Unitaid in 2013 after working as a representative in various countries for UNAIDS. Mauricio is a lawyer and holds a Master’s degree in Law and Diplomacy and in International Public Law from the Fletcher School in the USA and the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerland.
A Serbian national, Smijka has more than 15 years of experience in programme management and HIV prevention, treatment and care, and has been working at Unitaid and the World Health Organization for seven years. Smiljka holds Master’s degrees in Pharmacy and Public Health.
Hailing from Mauritius, Loveena’s decade long career on M&E and HIV spans working for the World Bank in Washington DC, Civil Societies in Mauritius and Tanzania and the SADC Parliamentary Forum in Namibia before joining Unitaid. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Economics and Master’s in Public Administration. Loveena joined Unitaid because she believes that she can make a positive change for people to have equitable access to healthcare.
He has over 15 years of experience in Finance and Accounting, as well as Grants, Risk and Compliance. Additionally, he has experience in other areas such as: HR, IT, Administration, Procurement and Security in a development as well as emergency response context. Before joining Unitaid in December 2016, Jemmy was Finance and Support Services Director at World Vision International’s Rwanda Country Office. Jemmy comes from Indonesia and holds a Bachelor’s in Accounting and a Master’s in Corporate Finance.
An Australian, Kristen has over 10 years’ experience working for law firms, NGOs and international organisations. Before joining Unitaid, she worked as Legal Advisor for Médecins sans Frontières. Kristen holds Bachelor’s degrees in Business and Laws, is admitted to practice as a lawyer in New South Wales (Australia), and passed the Paris Bar Exam. Kristen joined Unitaid in order to follow her passion for promoting public health in low-income countries.
A French national, Philippe has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of HIV/AIDS, infectious and tropical diseases and public health. Philippe has been working at Unitaid for 10 years, and played an instrumental role in the creation of Unitaid in 2006. Previously, he was a practicing Doctor at Hospital “La Pitié Salpétrière” in Paris (Infections Diseases Department) and was twice advisor for the French Ministry of Health, Minister Bernard Kouchner. He was the head of the Mission against HIV/AIDS and harm reduction for l’Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) and also heads the French regulatory agency for medicines and health products. He chaired the Board of the European Medicines Agency.
Philippe holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and is a Doctor.
A native of Senegal, Fatou has more than 15 years of experience in auditing, financial management and accounting and has been working at Unitaid and the World Health Organization since 2013. She is a French “Expert comptable”, a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and holds a Master’s degree from EM Lyon Business School.
She has been working with Unitaid since 2013. Danielle is from Ireland and has almost 10 years’ experience in programme and emergency management. Before joining Unitaid, she was a Project Coordinator with Médecins Sans Frontières with experience working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Niger, South Africa and Haiti. Danielle holds a Master’s degree in Global Health.
A Danish national, Sanne has over 15 years of experience in Strategy and Policy Development and partnership building and programme management. She worked in the Private Sector, the Global Fund and UN System. She holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Economics. Sanne has been working at Unitaid for over 2 years.
Katerina hails from Australia and has over 10 year’s professional healthcare experience. Katerina has a diverse portfolio of expertise including market and policy analysis, health economics and strategy development for multinational and international organisations. She holds a Bachelor’s in History & Government and International Relations and a Master’s in Health Policy.
Hailing from France, Ivan has more than 10 years of experience in administrative support, dealing mostly with IT, facilities, assets and procurement of goods for Unitaid. He has been working at Unitaid and WHO for 16 years. He holds a Baccalauréat Technologique.
Originally from the United States, Janet has 15 years of experience in strategy development and technical programme management. Prior to joining Unitaid in 2012, she worked in the private sector, on pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement, and at the World Health Organization, on diagnostics. She holds a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s in BioScience Enterprise.
She has 17 years strategic and operational management experience in the development industry. Kate’s former postings, mostly with NGOs, were in Cambodia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and USA. Kate holds a Bachelor’s in Southeast Asian Studies and a Masters in Anthropology of Development. She works for Unitaid because she believes achieving impact in global health requires market-minded interventions, designed specifically to serve those with the greatest need. She is from the UK.
Thomas has more than 10 years of experience in business management in the automotive industry. He previously worked in quality management for Bosch and then at StopTB before joining Unitaid. He holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Audit and Finance Controlling. Thomas has dual French and Swiss nationality.
A British national, Sonia qualified as a UK solicitor in 1994 and has spent more than 20 years providing legal, regulatory and policy advice in the private and public sectors. Sonia joined Unitaid from the private sector in 2009. She holds a Master’s degree in Jurisprudence and an LLM in European Law.
A native of France, Marina has about 10 years of experience in the fields of advocacy and partnership building, public relations and public health. She was Advisor to the French Ambassador for AIDS and Communicable Diseases at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She holds a Bachelor’s in International Affairs and Master’s degrees in Development and Social Change, and European Public Management.
Andrew is from the UK and has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of journalism, writing and editing. Before joining Unitaid, he was Head of Media and Translations at The Global Fund. He holds a Bachelor’s in French and Italian Language and Social and Political Sciences and a Master’s in European studies.
An American, Heather has close to two decades of experience in programme management and health policy development. Before joining Unitaid, she worked as a Senior Programme Officer at the Global Fund. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Service Administration and a Master’s in Public Health focusing on Health Policy and Management.
An Indian national, Gauri has about 10 years of experience in Economics, Health Statistics and Programme Evaluation. Before joining Unitaid, she was Senior Programme Manager at GAVI. Gauri holds a Bachelor’s in Economics, Master’s degrees in Economics and International Economics and a PhD in International Economics. In her spare time, Gauri enjoys reading historical fiction, crime fiction and histories of ancient objects.
She has over 9 years of experience in programme management, advocacy, partnership building and governance. She joined Unitaid in 2013. Prior to this, she has worked at UNAIDS and UNOPS. Oksana is a Ukrainian national. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management and a postgraduate diploma in Project Management.
A British national, Ross has more than 10 years of experience working as an economist, in a variety of roles at the United Kingdom’s Department of Health (England) and the Department for International Development, and at the International Labour Office (ILO) in Geneva. He holds a Master of Science degree (MSc.) in Economics.
His areas of expertise are Procurement & Logistics, and Diplomacy. Lorenzo has worked in over 14 African countries, travelled across most high-burden disease and post-conflict countries/emerging economies, and lived on 4 continents. Lorenzo is a Liberian national, and holds a Master of Business Administration (Marketing) degree. He joined Unitaid in 2007.
A native of Argentina, Lelio has worked for 25 years in organizational development and analysis, resource mobilization and programme management for a number of international agencies. Before joining Unitaid, he headed the Africa and the Middle East department at the Global Fund, overseeing a large portfolio of grants spanning nearly 50 countries. Prior to that, Lelio supervised large-scale programmes at the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank that focused on modernizing state structures in Latin America. He has also managed development initiatives and advised governments on implementation of technical assistance programs in complex political environments. Earlier in his career, Lelio worked for UNESCO and UNDP, as well as for the government of his native Argentina.
He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Public, Administrative and International Law.
Sarah hails from France and has over 10 years of experience in communication and public information. She holds a Bachelor’s in International Business and Master’s degrees in Communications Strategy and Cultural Project Management in Europe. Sarah has been working at Unitaid for 8 years.
A dual Kenyan-Canadian citizen, he has over 15 years of experience in multi-sectoral program management, business development, technical cooperation, grant management, resource mobilization and strategic partnership engagement. He has been working at Unitaid for over 4 years. His most recent other positions include serving as Senior Operations Manager for WHO’s Pandemic Vaccines Donation Initiative and Chief Operating Officer of the Global TB Drug Facility. Robert holds a Bachelor’s in International Relations and a Master’s in International Development.
Nargiza has worked in Central Asia and has more than five years of experience in monitoring and evaluation, data management, analysis and research. Before joining Unitaid, she worked as a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development and as an Evaluation Consultant for UN agencies. Nargiza holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Public Administration and a Master’s in Political Science.
A British national, Gelise has many years of experience in public information, public health and programme management and has been at Unitaid for eight years. Prior to that, she held communication and knowledge management roles with GAIN and UNDP respectively. She holds a Bachelor’s in Communication Studies and a Master’s in Public Health.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in International Business from Jersey City University. Richard’s work experience has spanned real estate, retail and logistics portfolios in the private and public sectors over the last 10 years in the US and Switzerland. He is a dual Ugandan and American citizen.
Before joining Unitaid, she worked at the Global Fund on programme efficiency and intervention prioritisation. Deepti is very interested in the application of economics to public health. Having previously practiced as a clinician, she went on to do a Master’s degree in Health Economics. Hailing from India, an internship opportunity at the World Health Organization brought Deepti to Switzerland four years ago. The chocolates and fondue have kept her here ever since.
Hailing from India, Monica has around five years of experience in Human Resources management and recruitment. Before joining Unitaid, she worked as Human Resources Manager at SSai Business Consultants, Ethiopia. Monica holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, English Literature and Journalism and a Master’s in International Human Resource Management.
Yamuna is from India and has over 15 years of experience in the fields of tuberculosis, programme management and public health. Yamuna has been working at the World Health Organization and Unitaid for eight years. She holds a Bachelor’s in Medicine and Surgery and a Master’s degree in Public Health.
A Tanzanian, he has more than 10 years of experience in project monitoring, evaluation and research. Before joining Unitaid, he was an Associate Specialist at The Global Fund. Ombeni holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and a Master’s in Epidemiology. Ombeni joined Unitaid because he believes that working toward improving people’s health and well-being is a meaningful day’s work and offers great personal fulfillment.
Kothi has more than 10 years of experience in the fields of administration and human resources management and has been working at Unitaid and the World Health Organization for 15 years. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Numerical Analysis and Statistics and a Master’s in Political Studies.
Before joining Unitaid, Eva worked at the Swedish embassy in Zambia where she managed programmes addressing the health of children, adolescents and women. From 1997 to 2002, she worked at the World Health Organization, frequently visiting countries in the former Soviet Union where she provided technical assistance and advice on TB as well as drug-resistant forms of the disease. After a further eight years working on global TB control and TB/HIV co-infection at WHO head office, she then spent four years at WHO’s country office in Myanmar. A native of Sweden, Eva holds two Master’s degrees in Molecular Biology and in Health, Environment and Development.
Originally from Cameroon, Edith has been with the World Health Organization since 2007 where she worked in several departments, including Internal Oversight Services, prior to joining Unitaid in February 2017. Among her other qualifications, Edith has a diploma in Continuing Education from the University of Geneva.
A native of Malaysia, Nicole has 10 years of experience in international procurement and logistics, including eight years working at the World Health Organization and at Unitaid. Nicole holds a Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS). Unitaid’s commitment to improving public health through innovative solutions and the opportunity to advance her career in a stimulating environment were the main motivations for Nicole to join the organization.
Born in Belgium to Irish parents, Cian worked as a biologist in Ecuador, then as an English teacher in Spain, before making the move to science writing. Cian was the web editor in the CERN communications team before joining Unitaid in January 2016. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences (Zoology) and Master’s degrees in Integrative Bioscience and Science Communication.
A Serbian and Swiss dual national, Momcilo has more than 10 years of experience in the fields of communication, social media, digital campaigns, graphic design and web editing. Momcilo has been working at Unitaid for five years. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Psychology and Human Resource Management.
Ademola is a Nigerian; he joined Unitaid after many years with CHAI in Nigeria as Access Programmes Manager. Ademola is a Pharmacist with an MBA degree; he brings about 10 years’ substantive experience in supply-chain management with a focus on HIV and Viral Hepatitis.
“I joined Unitaid due to an admiration of how impactful previous projects funded by Unitaid in Nigeria were; I was a pharmacist at an ART Clinic where I experienced, first-hand, the introduction of paediatric dispersible ARVs.”
A British national, Sara has over 15 years of experience in capacity building and public health spanning pharmacy, nutrition and biomedical research. Prior to joining Unitaid, she worked as a Training Manager at Management Sciences for Health, Swaziland. Sara holds Master’s degrees in Pharmacy, and Human Nutrition & Metabolism; and a PhD in Medicine and Therapeutics.
A Latvian national, he has 20 years of experience working with UN organizations, specializing in public health issues. Before joining Unitaid, Mārtiņš worked as Adviser on Strategy, Policy and Governance at the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. He studied international economic relations and international law at the Institute of International Affairs in Riga and the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.
She brings twenty years of experience in pharmaceutical policies, partnerships, strategic planning, grant-development and evaluation. Prior to joining Unitaid, she has been working with diverse international organizations such as Médecins sans Frontières, and Global Health Institutions such as Global Fund, always focused on overcoming barriers to access and scale-up of optimized health products in resource-limited settings. She holds a Bachelor’s in Pharmacy, and a Master’s in Virology.
Judith has more than 15 years of management experience in international development, public health and resource mobilization. Before joining Unitaid, she was Senior Adviser, External Relations at UNAIDS and Programme Officer, Health Section at UNICEF. She has also worked in building public/private partnerships in the field of education. Judith holds a Bachelor’s in Economics and a Master’s in Business and Public Policy. She is a national of the United States.
A French national, Julien has many years of experience in audit, risk management, CSR and project finance including more than five years with a global health private venture. Julien previously worked as corporate finance project manager and interim head of finance at a public private joint venture for the Piriou Group. Julien holds a M.Sc in Finance.
A British national of Indian origin, Ganesh has more than 17 years of experience in grant management, compliance, financial analysis, risk management and change management in humanitarian and development programmes. Ganesh has held positions at country, regional offices and HQ with CARE USA, IRC, Christian Aid, and Oxfam. He has worked in South Asia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Africa and the UK. Ganesh holds a Bachelor’s in Commerce and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration.
A Russian national, she has more than three years of experience in financial analysis and accounting. Before joining Unitaid, Radana worked as a financial accountant in several private companies. Radana holds a Bachelor’s in International Economics and a Master’s degree in Finance. Radana joined Unitaid to fulfil her professional potential and to support the organization’s values and initiatives.
A Russian and Swiss national, Katya has over eight years of experience in health programme management. Prior to her current role, she worked as Senior Country Manager at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. She holds a Bachelor’s in Economics and French Literature and Master’s degrees in Health Economics, Policy and Management and in European Studies.
A dual national of France and Switzerland, Laetitia has more than four years of experience working in partnerships, project analysis and advocacy. She holds Master’s in Public Affairs from Sciences Po and a Master’s in Arts and Languages from EHESS. Before joining Unitaid, Laetitia was the Country Representative at GROUPE SOS in India and worked as Partnerships Analyst at the UNOPS Office in Washington D.C.
Prior to joining Unitaid, Dessie worked at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Habitat for Humanity International and UNDP. A Bulgarian, she started her career in private equity and strategic consulting in London and has more than 10 years of experience in project and grant management in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. Dessie holds an International Organisations MBA degree from the University of Geneva and a BSc from University of Bath in Politics and Economics focusing on Health and Development Economics.
A French national, Romane has more than 5 years of experience in programme management. Before joining Unitaid, she was Project Manager at DMI Associates, a consulting firm which specialises in public policies and economic development. Romane graduated from EDHEC Business School with an MSc in Management and from the University of St Andrews with an MSc in Economics.
A Dutch national, she has more than 15 years of experience in the field of pharmaceutical supply, regulation and policy, as well as intellectual property. She worked in various countries in Africa and Asia. Catherina holds Master’s degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences and in Political Science.
A Canadian, Monique has more than 15 years of experience in accounting, auditing, financial analysis and reporting. Monique holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and is a certified Chartered Accountant. Before joining Unitaid, Monique was the Director of Management Reporting at the University of British Columbia in Canada. She has been working at Unitaid and at the World Health Organization since 2008.
A French national, he has about 10 years of experience in the fields of accounting, auditing, and financial analysis and reporting. Matthieu previously worked as an associate finance officer and then as a Programme Officer at the Global Fund before joining Unitaid. He holds a Master in Management and a Master’s in Administration.
He has training and work experience in medical parasitology, epidemiology and public health. Ambachew worked at the Ministry of Health in his home country, Ethiopia, and then at the World Health Organization and at Unitaid, mainly in the area of malaria control. Ambachew holds Master’s degrees in Medical Parasitology and Public Health and a PhD in Health Studies.
A Swiss national, Sina has 10 years of experience in programme management. She previously worked as a programme officer at the WHO Emergency Programme and as Regional Coordinator for an international Peacebuilding organization where she acquired field experience in West and East Africa. Sina has Master’s degrees in both International Relations and Public Administration.
