PROCESS LAUNCHED FOR RECRUITMENT OF NEXT E.D.

Author:

David Garmaise

Article Type:

Article Number: 7

Deadline for applications is 5 December 2016

ABSTRACT The Board has formally launched the process to replace Dr Mark Dybul as Executive Director when his term expires on 31 May 2017. Dr Dybul has indicated that he does not wish to be considered for a second term.

The Board has formally launched the recruitment process for a new executive director to replace Dr Mark Dybul, whose term expires on 31 May 2017. Dr Dybul has indicated that he is not seeking a renewal of his term.

The Board is expected to make a selection of the new E.D. during a Board retreat scheduled for 28 February-1March.

Some steps in the recruitment process have already happened. The Ethics and Governance Committee (ECG) undertook a comprehensive consultation with Board constituencies in September concerning the composition and terms of reference (TOR) of a Nomination Committee; the Board decision-making process; and the TOR and selection criteria for the new E.D.

In addition, a search firm, Russell Reynolds Associates, was appointed; terms of reference for the Nomination Committee were approved; and a call for nominations for positions on the committee was issued.

The consultations and the discussions on the ECG resulted in a consensus that no major changes are required to the existing TOR for the E.D. position. However, the TOR adopted by the Board at its meeting in Montreux included one new clause: The E.D. is expected to appoint a Deputy E.D. to ensure that his/her managerial responsibilities may be efficiently carried out without interruption throughout the year, in particular during his/her absences for business-related travels.

There was also a consensus that the voting process used for the selection of the current E.D. had worked very well. The voting process approved by the Board in Montreux incorporates only a few minor changes. For details of the voting process, please see Board Document GF-B36-07.

Members of the Nominations Committee were appointed at the Board meeting. The Chair of the committee is Jan Paehler from the European Commission constituency. Other members are as follows:

• Sarah Boulton (U.K.)
• Vinand Nantulya (Eastern and Southern Africa)
• Amy Baker (Canada, Switzerland and Australia)
• Michèle Boccoz (France)
• Hristijan Jankuloski (Developing Country NGOs)
• Filipe da Costa (South East Asia)

Two non-Board persons were appointed to the committee as independents: Eric Goosby, currently the U.N. Special Envoy on Tuberculosis, and previously U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator; and Mphu Keneiloe Ramatlapeng, Executive Vice-President of the Clinton Health Access Initiative and previously past Vice-Chair of the Global Fund Board.

Timelines

The timelines are very tight. The deadline for applications is 5 December. In the next few weeks, Board constituencies will be canvassed and a broad search will be undertaken to identify the most suitable candidates. The search will include advertisements in leading international publications in English, French, and Spanish. Social media and internet recruitment channels will also be used. In addition, Russell Reynolds Associates will contact each constituency not only to solicit their views and opinions on the ideal candidate but also to identify potential candidates for the E.D. position within the constituencies themselves.

After the 5 December deadline, an assessment and comprehensive review of the applications will be undertaken. The goal is to compile by mid-December a long list of potential candidates to be reviewed by the Nomination Committee at a meeting in mid-December. The Committee will provide the Board with an overview and update of the process in an interim report which will be submitted at the end of December 2016.

In January 2017, the long list of candidates will be refined through a series of interviews and psychometric testing. A short list of up four of the highest ranking candidates will be identified by the Nomination Committee and presented to the Board by the second week of February. A final report to the Board will outline in detail how each candidate was assessed.

The short-listed candidates will be presented and discussed at Board Retreat. The Board will meet the candidates, who will be interviewed by a Board panel. Questions for the candidates may be submitted by Board Members and the Nomination Committee; the Board interview panel will have discretion in terms of how the interview process will be carried out. It is expected that the Board will take the final appointment decision on the second day of the Board Retreat (i.e. 1 March 2017).

Gender considerations

One thing that is different this time around is that there is no provision for a certain number of short-listed candidates to be women. In 2012, when the process was launched that resulted in the selection of Dr Dybul, there was a requirement that at least two of the four short-listed candidates be women (see GFO article).

Board Document GF-B36-07, Board Direct Reports Selection Process, should be available shortly at www.theglobalfund.org/en/board/meetings/36.