Shortlist Chosen for Global Fund Executive Director Position

Author:

Bernard Rivers

Article Type:

Article Number: 1

ABSTRACT A committee of the Global Fund's board has chosen a shortlist of five people for consideration as the Fund's new Executive Director, to succeed Richard Feachem. They are a former government minister from Norway, the French HIV/AIDS ambassador, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, a senior US television executive, and a senior UNAIDS official from Mali.

A committee of the Global Fund’s board has chosen a shortlist of five people for consideration as the Fund’s new Executive Director, to succeed Richard Feachem.  The final choice will be made by the full board on 31 October.

According to the Wall Street Journal plus various web sources, the five shortlisted candidates are, in alphabetical order, as follows:

• Hilde Johnson: Citizen of Norway.  Was Norway’s Minister of International Development from 1997-2000 and 2001-2005.  Fluent in English, Norwegian and Swahili.  See also www.dep.no/odinarkiv/english/stoltenberg_I/ud/032091-160023/dok-bn.html.
• Michel Kazatchkine: Citizen of France.  France’s HIV/AIDS Ambassador.  Former Vice-Chair, Global Fund, and Chair, Global Fund Technical Review Panel.  Fluent in English, French and Russian.  See also www.theglobalfund.org/en/files/in_action/events/toronto2006/Bio_Michel_Kazatchkine.pdf.
• Jim Kolbe: Citizen of USA.  Has served for over 20 years as a Republican member of the US House of Representatives.  Chairman of the House Subcommittee that funds most US foreign aid programs.  Retiring from the House in December 2006.  See also www.house.gov/kolbe/biography.htm.
• Bill Roedy: Citizen of USA and UK.  President, MTV Networks International.  Chair of the Global Media AIDS Initiative Leadership Committee.  Former Chair, Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS.  See also www.bpi.co.uk/pdf/Bill_Roedy_Biog_05_06.pdf.
• Michel Sidibe: Citizen of Mali.  Director of the Country and Regional Support Department of UNAIDS.  Formerly ran UNICEF programmes in various African countries.  Fluent in English, French, and several African languages.  See also  www.unaids.org/en/AboutUNAIDS/Leadership/senior_management.asp.

A total of 334 candidates applied for the position.  After initial screening by an executive search firm, about a dozen applicants were interviewed by the board’s Nomination Committee.  As requested by the board, the Committee then chose a shortlist of five for final consideration by the full board.

The Fund’s bylaws require that the new Executive Director must be selected based on merit, in a non-political, open and competitive manner.  The eight members of the Nomination Committee, who come from Barbados, Cameroon, China, Denmark, European Commission, the NGO sector, UK, and USA, have served in their personal capacity, and each member agreed in writing not to reveal the identities of candidates, even to their bosses at work, until the list of five was sent to the board on Monday.

It is hoped that the new Executive Director will take office by January 2007.

Selection criteria:

According to the Fund’s website, the selection criteria used by the Nomination Committee were as follows:

Leadership and Strategic Management

• Substantial experience – ideally more than 10 years – of successful management and leadership in complex public, private or international organisation(s);
• Proven leadership, vision and strategic thinking;
• Political sensitivity, communication and external representation skills, with the ability to relate and work effectively and strategically with partners at all levels;
• Competence in the management of staff, finances and processes within international organizations, public or private sectors, NGOs or private foundations;
• Proven ability to raise funds from different sources;
• Commitment to implementing the core principles of the Fund as articulated in the framework document and relevant agreements;
• Vision and understanding of the challenges and opportunities that face the Fund;
• Commitment to promote involvement of people living with, or affected by, HIV, TB and malaria;
• Proven ability to identify and nurture talent, to encourage diversity and foster team building;
• Excellent inter-personal skills, cultural and gender sensitivity and respect;
• Demonstrated ability to relate and work effectively with a range of different institutions, interest groups and stakeholders, including affected populations;
• Ability to manage change and innovation.

International Experience with Health and Development

·         Excellent understanding of working in developing countries, including implementation challenges;

·         Experience and knowledge related to public health, AIDS, TB and Malaria;

·         Experience and knowledge of international, development and public policy processes;

·         Experience working with multiple sectors, such as international organizations, Governments, NGOs and the Private Sector;

·         Good language skills: ability to work in English, and ideally fluency in at least another language of the Fund.

Experience working with Boards of Directors

·         Has worked closely with at least one Governing Body, or Board of Directors of an international organization, large company, NGO or private foundation;

·         Thorough understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with Board working processes.

Availability

• Incumbent should [ideally] be available by January 2007.

Questions to the candidates:

GFO has written to the five shortlisted candidates inviting each of them to submit up to 1,000 words in answer to the following five questions:

1. What are the key points in your resume/CV that are relevant to the position of Executive Director of the Global Fund?
2. What are the primary strengths you would bring to the job?
3. What are the key challenges that the Global Fund faces?
4. What would you do, as Executive Director, to help the Fund overcome the key challenges that it faces?
5. What are the main ways in which your experience and skills do not match what the job requires, and what would you do to make up for this?

If all five candidates provide responses, those responses will be published by GFO, without editing, on 19 October.  If any of the candidates decline to respond, none of the responses will be published.  Prior to the GF board choosing an Executive Director, GFO will not publish any article supporting or opposing any individual candidate or type of candidate.