IAVI Welcomes New Members to Board of Directors

NEW YORK, NY, July 31, 2012—The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) today announced the appointment to its Board of Directors of Alice P. Albright, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and Dr. Purnima Mane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pathfinder International. They join a diverse group of directors from 10 countries with backgrounds in finance, vaccinology, international development, academia and HIV treatment and prevention that oversees IAVI, evaluates its progress and shapes its long-term strategy.

“I am pleased to welcome Alice and Purnima to IAVI’s Board of Directors,” said Margaret McGlynn, President and CEO of IAVI. “They both bring to the organization a wealth of experience in global health and nonprofit management, and will no doubt provide strong strategic counsel to help guide IAVI in the coming years. A seasoned Board of Directors is essential to maintaining a successful global organization, and I am confident that Alice and Purnima will be vital members of this team.”

An experienced executive with 27 years of international and domestic experience across private, public and non-profit sectors, Alice P. Albright is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (“Eximbank”).  In this role, Albright has direct responsibility for a number of core operational areas and oversees the bank’s relationship with key oversight bodies.  Albright has helped lead a significant program expansion at the bank in response to the current financial and economic crisis, positioning the Agency to help double US exports and create jobs. Prior to joining Eximbank, Albright served for several years as Chief Financial & Investment Officer of the GAVI Alliance. There, she led the organization’s efforts to develop and implement innovative financing programs and helped to build GAVI from a start-up to one of the most successful and respected nongovernmental public health organizations in the world.

“I have long championed the development and distribution of vaccines to those in need,” said Albright. “During my time at GAVI, I witnessed first-hand the impact that the availability of life-saving vaccines and strong immunization programs can have in the developing world. I am excited and honored to be part of an organization with such an admirable mission.”

Dr. Purnima Mane is an internationally recognized expert on gender, population and development, and public health issues. She has nearly 30 years of in-depth experience in the areas of sexual and reproductive health, AIDS and women’s empowerment.  As President and Chief Executive Officer of Pathfinder International, an organization that works to improve the sexual and reproductive health of women, men and young people in developing countries, Dr. Mane is responsible for leading and managing the strategic, programmatic and financial operations of the organization. 

“As a former member of IAVI’s Policy Advisory Committee, I have long believed that the development of a safe and effective HIV vaccine is essential to bringing an end to the AIDS pandemic,” said Mane. “That conviction has been reinforced continually over nearly three decades of work in areas related to AIDS and sexual and reproductive health. I look forward to working with IAVI to help make the goal of a broadly effective AIDS vaccine a reality.”

Prior to joining Pathfinder International, Dr. Mane was Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General at the United Nations Population Fund, where she played a leadership role in the development of the organization’s strategic vision and directed the Fund’s programs in implementing the mandates of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Before that, Dr. Mane held leadership positions at UNAIDS, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, the World Health Organization and the Population Council, and worked for two decades in India.

About IAVI 
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a global not-for-profit organization whose mission is to ensure the development of safe, effective, accessible, preventive HIV vaccines for use throughout the world.  Founded in 1996, IAVI works with partners in 25 countries to research, design and develop AIDS vaccine candidates. In addition, IAVI conducts policy analyses and serves as an advocate for the AIDS vaccine field. IAVI supports a comprehensive approach to addressing HIV and AIDS that balances the expansion and strengthening of existing HIV-prevention and treatment programs with targeted investments in the design and development of new tools to prevent HIV. IAVI is dedicated to ensuring that a future AIDS vaccine will be available and accessible to all who need it. IAVI relies on the generous donations from governments, private individuals, corporations and foundations to carry out its mission. For more information, see www.iavi.org.

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Contact:

Lauren Wesolowski
lwesolowski@iavi.org 
212-328-7420