Dianne Stewart Joins IAVI

NEW YORK, August 19, 2009─Dianne Stewart, former head of Board and Donor relations at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, has joined the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) as Vice President of Resource Development.  In her role at IAVI, Ms. Stewart will provide leadership for the organization’s fundraising strategy focused on both the public and private sectors.

Ms. Stewart brings extensive experience to this position.  As part of the Global Fund’s senior leadership and together with a team of 13, she developed and managed the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to mobilize resources from donor countries.  These efforts helped to raise commitments of USD $10 billion over three years, effectively doubling the Global Fund’s income, funds which ensured the scale-up of life-saving prevention, care and treatment programs.  Ms. Stewart also oversaw relations with the Global Fund’s Board, including the Partnership Forum, and played an integral role in helping to develop and ensure stakeholder confidence in the Global Fund as a credible, well-governed channel for investment.

“During these challenging economic times, sustaining long-term support for AIDS vaccine research is important now more than ever,” said Seth Berkley, M.D., President and CEO at IAVI.  “We are delighted to have Dianne join the IAVI family and are confident that her expertise will add significantly to IAVI’s efforts to engage donors in our mission to develop a vaccine that will help bring the AIDS pandemic to an end.”

“Sustained and diverse support is essential to ensuring the development of an AIDS vaccine,” said Dianne Stewart.  “I look forward to exploring innovative fundraising approaches that complement and support IAVI’s maverick approach to AIDS vaccine science.”

Prior to joining the Global Fund, Ms. Stewart worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) where, among other responsibilities, she managed the Canadian and Danish trust funds and was involved in a number of policy initiatives that sought to manage the financial and human resources of the UNHCR more efficiently.  Ms. Stewart has also taught and lectured on English literature at Vista University Soweto, South Africa during the final years of apartheid.

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 and operational in 24 countries, IAVI and its network of collaborators research and develop vaccine candidates.  In July 2009, IAVI received a four-star rating for the eighth consecutive year from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent evaluator of charities.  In fact, nearly 90 percent of IAVI’s finances go exclusively toward ensuring the development of a safe, effective, preventive AIDS vaccine.  

IAVI was founded with the generous support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Starr Foundation, and Until There’s A Cure Foundation.  Other major supporters include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, The John D. Evans Foundation, The New York Community Trust, the James B. Pendleton Charitable Trust; the Governments of Canada, Denmark, India, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the Basque Autonomous Government, the European Union as well as The City of New York, Economic Development Corporation; multilateral organizations such as The World Bank; corporate donors including BD (Becton, Dickinson & Co.), Bristol-Myers Squibb, Continental Airlines, Google Inc., Henry Schein, Inc., Pfizer Inc, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.; leading AIDS charities such as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS; other private donors such as The Haas Trusts; and many generous individuals from around the world.  For more information, see www.iavi.org.