IAVI Welcomes Louis Schwartz as Chief Financial Officer

NEW YORK, May 30, 2012—The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Louis Schwartz as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Schwartz will oversee the financial operations of the organization, working closely with IAVI’s Senior Management Team and Board of Directors. He will also lead IAVI’s Finance & Administration team, including the global financial planning and forecasting, grants and contracts, audit and compliance, knowledge management and information technology functions. 

Schwartz is an executive with more than 25 years of experience in finance in both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining IAVI, he served as Vice President for Finance and Administration at American Jewish World Service (AJWS), an international development organization working to realize human rights and end poverty in the developing world. At AJWS, Schwartz oversaw the organization’s annual budget of US $50 million and led the finance, IT, human resources, and facilities teams.

“I am delighted to have Louis join the IAVI team. He is uniquely suited for this position, as he brings to IAVI a wealth of finance and operations management experience as well as a deep understanding of how to work effectively across a global organization,” said Margaret McGlynn, CEO of IAVI. “This is a time of extraordinary advances in HIV vaccine R&D, yet due to the extended economic downturn there is an increased premium on efficient and effective financial management. I am confident that Louis is well equipped to ensure the best use of IAVI’s donor contributions to serve the AIDS vaccine field.”

In his previous roles, Schwartz developed expertise in both international finance and nonprofit management. As Chief Financial Officer of Neighborhood Housing Services of NYC, Inc., he helped to improve the organization’s financial integrity, implementing timely financial reporting and overseeing the annual auditing process. Prior to that, Schwartz held various positions in finance at one of the largest Russian investment banks, Troika Dialog, and in commercial banking in Moscow and New York City. 

“I am honored to join IAVI at such an exciting time in AIDS vaccine development,” Schwartz said. “Ending the AIDS pandemic would represent a massive victory for humanity, and IAVI’s mission to ensure the development of a safe, effective, preventive AIDS vaccine for all those who need it is absolutely essential to realizing this goal. I look forward to dedicating my time and expertise to such an important cause.”

Schwartz holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Georgetown University. He also attended University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Schwartz is a member of the CFO Roundtable and the Bridgestar New York Non-Profit CFO Network, and sits on the Board of Directors of several nonprofit organizations.

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:
Sara Levy
slevy@iavi.org
(212) 328-7415

Lauren Wesolowski
lwesolowski@iavi.org
(212) 328-7415