Our Global Leadership
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Global Leadership Team aligns our work at the country and global levels for a harmonized focus on ending AIDS in children, youth and families.
Global Leadership Team
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) global team is comprised of more than 3000 staff worldwide, more than 95% of whom are African nationals residing in the countries in which we work. This EGPAF team is guided by a Global Leadership Team consisting of Executive Leadership, Senior Leadership and Country Directors. As the lead executives within their country programs who also manage the majority of EGPAF staff, Country Directors oversee all activities at country level, including project management, program implementation, technical assistance, national policy, research and operations. Executive and Senior Leadership work across country programs to advance technical leadership, research and multi-country systems for finance, operations, compliance, human resources, business development, external affairs, and global policy. The Global Leadership Team aligns EGPAF’s work at the country and global levels for a harmonized focus on ending AIDS in children, youth and families. The members of the Global Leadership Team are profiled below.
CHARLES LYONS
President and Chief Executive Officer
Since being named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2010 Charles Lyons has led the Foundation through significant changes to the programmatic and advocacy portfolio of work, including the organization’s transition from several centrally managed, global awards to managing a broad range of bilateral awards in a dozen countries. During his tenure, EGPAF launched an affiliate model of partnership with national organizations in Tanzania, Mozambique and Cote d’Ivoire, and provided leadership to catalyze action under global partnerships, such as the “Global Plan Towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections Among Children by 2015 and Keeping Their Mothers Alive.”
Lyons joined EGPAF after many years managing and developing programs for global organizations, including as director of special initiatives in the Global Development Program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led a team dedicated to global poverty reduction. Prior to his work at the Gates Foundation, Lyons spent more than 20 years with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to include program officer, UNICEF Mozambique; chief of staff to the executive director at UNICEF headquarters; and president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
A longtime advocate for global health, he has served as a member of the Human Rights Watch Health and Human Rights Advisory Committee and worked from its inception to develop the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), serving on the Board of the GAVI Fund and chairing its executive committee from 2004 to 2006. From 2015-2016 Lyons served as U.S. Representative to the Executive Board of UNICEF under President Barack Obama, and previously served as the U.S. Alternate Representative (2011-2015).
Lyons studied political economy at the New School for Social Research in New York and has a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College in Minnesota.
Global Leadership Team:
Please click a name to navigate to a Global Leadership Team member’s bio.
AIME LOANDO MBOYO
AMADE SUCA
ANJA GIPHART, MD, MPH
ANNE HOPPE, PHD
APPOLINAIRE TIAM, MD, PHD
CASPIAN CHOURAYA, MD, MS
CATHERINE E. CONNOR
CRAIG MOLYNEAUX
DIBY BROU CHARLES-JOSEPH, MD, MPH
DOUG HORNER
EDWARD BITARAKWATE, MD
ELIUD MWANGI, MD, MPH, MBA, PMP
ERICA MARTIN
JILL MATHIS, MPH
JOHN DITEKEMENA, MD, MPH, PHD
LAURA GUAY, MD
LILLIAN CHINYANGANYA, MD, MPH
NGUAVESE TORBUNDE, MBBS, MPH
MPHATSO KACHULE, MS
PATRICE TCHENDJOU, MD, MPH, PHD
PAUL FISHER, LL.B., MS
REFILOE LEBESE
SAJIDA JULIUS KIMAMBO, MD
SHABBIR ISMAIL ABBAS, MD, MPH
SHERIAN ABRAMAITYS-YI
TRISH DEVINE KARLIN, MBA
TS’EPANG MOHLOMI
VEENA SAMPATHKUMAR
YOLANDA BRIGNONI
Global Leadership Team
Aime Loando Mboyo
Country Director, Democratic Republic of Congo
Aime Loando Mboyo is a medical doctor and public health expert with over 24 years of experience with extensive program management skills serving as the Country Director for the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has more than 18 years of experience focused on controlling HIV/AIDS and TB epidemic in Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea Conakry and Mozambique. He received his Medical Degree from the University of Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of Congo and has a Master degree in Disease control from the Antwerpen Institute of Tropical medicine in Belgium.
He joined Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation in October 2013 as HIV Care and Treatment Specialist and was in charge of providing technical support to health care providers including HIV/AIDS trainings, supportive supervision, clinical mentorship and quality improvement using SIMS tool. As EGPAF Technical and Research Director, He played a key role the adoption of “Test and Treat” WHO guidelines in DRC, the national revision of norms, guidelines and data collection tools related to the HIV technical and monitoring areas. He also served as EGPAF Country implementing manager for the UNITAID Funded Catalyzing Pediatric TB Innovations Project
AMADE SUCA
Country Director, Mozambique
Mr. Amade Suca is the Country Director for EGPAF in Mozambique. Mr. Suca brings over a decade of policy experience and strategic engagement with Mozambique’s civil society specializing in NGO leadership and management, international development, conflict resolution, and democratic governance. Prior to joining EGPAF, Mr. Suca was with ActionAid for nine years in progressively responsible management roles. As a Regional Coordinator for Africa, he was actively involved in regional and international fora leading strategic discussions on food security across Africa, financing for sustainable development, and the generation of the sustainable development goals. Then, Mr. Suca served as Executive Director successfully restructuring the organization as a Mozambican NGO, maintaining a vast network of working relationships with the Mozambican government and managing the transition with staff and systems. Most recently, Mr. Suca was acting as Southern Africa Regional Director, ensuring adequate financial, management and leadership support was adequately provided to six countries. Mr. Suca received his Master’s degree in Agrarian Development from the Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique.
ANJA GIPHART, MD, MPH
Executive Vice President, Medical and Scientific Affairs
Dr. Anja Giphart is responsible for providing technical leadership and direction for the long-term strategic vision for the Foundation’s implementation and research initiatives. She is responsible for furthering the Foundation’s leadership in pediatric HIV/AIDS by developing, maintaining and expanding the depth and breadth of relationships with key governmental agencies, multilateral organizations, and other strategic partners.
As a member of EGPAF’s team since 2004, Anja has served since 2010 as Vice President for Program Implementation, responsible for managing the implementation and programmatic operations in our country programs, overseeing the technical aspects of EGPAF’s in-country work, including monitoring and evaluation activities, quality assurance, country support, and technical assistance Previous to her role supporting global program implementation, Dr. Giphart worked for EGPAF in Tanzania, first as the organization’s in-country technical director and later as the country director. Prior to joining EGPAF, she worked as an international health specialist for Macro International, and held positions in Zambia and Mozambique providing and supervising clinic services at area hospitals. Dr. Giphart received her degree in medicine from Erasmus University, and her master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
ANNE HOPPE, PHD
Director, Innovation
Dr Anne Hoppe is a scientist, strategist and accomplished program leader with a PhD in virology, a master of business administration (MBA), and more than 15 years’ experience in directing large-scale public health projects in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). At EGPAF she represents the Geneva Office and works with her team to accelerate access to life-improving and life-saving innovations for the populations that EGPAF serves. During her career, she provided evidence and strategies for introducing new treatments, diagnostics and models of care into policy and practice. In line with her passion, most of her work focused on responding to the HIV pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, she has also worked on innovations relating to other disease areas, including the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and TB diagnostics. Before joining EGPAF, Anne held posts at FIND in Geneva, Switzerland; the Infectious Diseases Institute, in Kampala, Uganda; the Wellcome Trust in London, UK; the UK Collaborative on Development in London, UK; University College London in London, UK; the Rwanda-Zambia HIV Research Project in Lusaka, Zambia; and ICON Clinical Research in Langen, Germany.
APPOLINAIRE TIAM, MD, PHD
Vice-President of Technical Strategies and Innovation
Dr. Appolinaire Tiam, Vice-President of Technical Strategies and Innovation, oversees implementation of our technical leadership, innovation and new technology, program optimization and external technical assistance portfolio to accelerate reaching 95-95-95 for all the populations that EGPAF serves, and to reach adults and children living with or at risk for HIV/TB and associated co-morbidities.
Dr. Tiam is a recognized HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis expert with demonstrated experience managing the technical implementation of integrated HIV/AIDS, TB and other infectious disease service delivery projects, and initiating strategic approaches to scale up HIV and TB services in sub-Saharan Africa. He is also a Principal or Co-Investigator on several operational research studies, and has presented and published his research work internationally. He joined the Foundation in 2008 and holds a Medical Degree, a MMed in Family Medicine from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa and a PhD from the University of Bergen in Norway.
CASPIAN CHOURAYA, MD, MS
Country Director, Eswatini and Chief of Party for AIDSFree.
Prior to his role as Country Director, Dr. Chouraya served as the Technical Director for the eSwatini program and he has been with the Foundation for 11 years. Dr. Chouraya has extensive clinical and technical HIV experience through his contributions to public health programming in Zimbabwe and eSwatini. He has over twelve years of experience in HIV testing, PMTCT, HIV care and treatment, specializing in HIV care and treatment in children and adults, and HIV policy development. Previously he co-chaired and oversaw the successful roll-out of Option B+ in eSwatini. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Zimbabwe; a postgraduate diploma in HIV Management from the College of Medicine in South Africa; and a Master of Science degree in Epidemiology from the University of Pretoria. Dr. Chouraya is fluent in English, Shona, Ndebele, Zulu, and SiSwati.
CATHERINE E. CONNOR
Vice President, Public Policy and Advocacy
Catherine Connor is Vice President of Public Policy at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation where she oversees both a domestic and global HIV and AIDS policy portfolio. Her work focuses on improving global HIV/AIDS financing policies and prioritizing pediatric HIV/AIDS within the global HIV/AIDS response. Specifically, Ms. Connor spearheads the Foundation’s U.S. legislative efforts and multilateral advocacy engagement on global health issues, including policies related to pediatric HIV/AIDS and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs. She also manages the Foundation’s global advocacy portfolio, working with field staff to advocate for the elimination of pediatric HIV and AIDS in individual countries and throughout the region.
Prior to joining the Foundation in 2007, Ms. Connor worked at Patton Boggs LLP in Washington, D.C. as a lawyer and lobbyist specializing in U.S. health care law and public policy. Her clients included health care provider associations, patient and consumer groups, non-profit community organizations, and pharmaceutical companies. She earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, and graduated with honors from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degrees in political science and journalism.
CRAIG MOLYNEAUX
Chief Operating Officer
Craig Molyneaux is responsible for strategic leadership, global operational excellence, funding and financial acumen of the Foundation. As the leader of our Corporate Services business unit, he oversees Awards, Compliance, & International Operations; Finance & Accounting; Global IT; Human Resources & Administration; and Internal Audit & Risk Management. Craig has more than 30 years of experience in operations, financial management, compliance and controls, and business process improvement from the government, nonprofit, and for-profit sectors. He previously served as the EVP and CFO at Management Sciences for Health (MSH) where he oversaw the finance, compliance, and IT functions of operations in 30+ countries throughout Africa, Asia, and South and Central America. Craig also served as the Sr. VP and CFO for AMIDEAST, CFO for Goldbelt, and CFO for W2Greentech, among many other strategic and tactical senior-level operations roles.
DIBY BROU CHARLES-JOSEPH, MD, MPH
Country Director, Cote d’Ivoire
Dr. Diby is a physician and public health professional with 18 years of vast and holistic experience providing clinical care to PLHIV and managing HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs. He joined EGPAF in 2005, first as the Technical Officer, leading the integration and delivery of quality HIV care services in high volume health facilities, and later as the SI&E director and project director. Dr. Diby received his degree in medicine from the University of Abidjan, and his master’s degree in public health focusing on disease control from the Institute of Tropical Medicine of Antwerp (Belgium).
DOUG HORNER, CCEP-I
Vice President, Awards, Compliance & Operational Excellence
Doug leads EGPAF’s global functions accountable for effective and efficient grantmaking, procurement, and compliance, has a leadership role in risk management and improving global operations to make them more efficient and effective. Doug also helps win new business awards with acceptable terms for the Foundation. Doug is a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional—International. Before coming to EGPAF, Doug held senior management positions in two of the U.S. Department of Justice’s grant-making agencies. He also served at the Government Accountability Office and the White House’s Office of Management and Budget while a Presidential Management Fellow. Doug earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School and graduated with honors from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.
EDWARD BITARAKWATE, MD, MPH
Country Director, Uganda
Dr. Edward Bitarakwate is the country director for EGPAF in Uganda. Previous to his position leading EGPAF’s efforts in Uganda, Dr. Bitarakwate acted as the country program’s technical director, coordinating prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services and HIV care and treatment expansion efforts. Prior to joining EGPAF, Dr. Bitarakwate worked in various capacities with the Uganda Ministry of Health, participating in the national scale-up of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment services. Dr. Bitarakwate is a pediatrician and public health specialist by training, and has practiced clinical and community medicine since 1995. He received his master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health.
ELIUD MWANGI, MD, MPH, MBA, PMP
Country Director, Kenya
Dr. Eliud Mwangi is the Country Director for EGPAF in Kenya, responsible for providing technical and strategic leadership, and overseeing program activities in the implementation of HIV programs.
Dr. Mwangi is a medical doctor and public health specialist, with over 15 years of extensive knowledge and experience, leading and guiding the strategic direction and effective management of program activities at both country and sub-national level. At the national level, he has played a critical role in HIV programming as an active and engaged member of the Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) at the National AIDS Control Council, the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Committee and as a national trainer and mentor.
He previously worked as the Director of Programs at ICAP, where he provided strategic direction in the design, planning, implementation and monitoring of ICAP Programs. Dr. Mwangi also worked with the Kenya Ministry of Health where he trained and mentored health care workers on the implementation of HIV programs.
He holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from The University of Nairobi, a Master’s degree in Public Health and an Executive MBA, both from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Dr Mwangi is a Certified Project Management Professional and an Executive Coach and is intentional about mentoring and coaching the next generation of leaders.
ERICA MARTIN
Sr. Director, Office of the President
Erica Martin directs the activities of the Executive Office, which includes leading and overseeing the agenda setting of the Foundation’s various leadership teams to address strategic priorities, and programmatic and operational risks, and serving as the primary liaison with the Board of Directors. On behalf of the CEO, she manages key, cross-cutting Foundation activities that have recently included the development and support of EGPAF’s DEI&B strategies. Erica also manages all communication and messaging for the President’s office.
Prior to EGPAF, Erica led USAID business development at the Institute of International Education in training, capacity development, women’s leadership and higher education programming. She held several different roles at Chemonics International, managing strategic and operational issues across a range of technical sectors for USAID-funded programs in the Middle East and Europe/Eurasia. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.
JILL MATHIS, MPH
Senior Advisor, Revenue Mobilization and Partnerships
Jill Mathis currently supports EGPAF leadership and the new business team with strategies to pursue new donor markets to increase visibility and resources for EGPAF’s mission. She previously served as the organization’s Vice President of New Business Development, where she successfully ensured a high level of support and growth in funding for EGPAF’s critical HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs. Prior to joining EGPAF, Jill served in positions at USAID, Deloitte, and Cardno Emerging Markets. Jill has a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and a BA from Davidson College.
JOHN DITEKEMENA, MD, MPH, PHD
Regional Director
John Ditekemena is one of EGPAF’s Regional Directors, supporting programs in the Central and Western African countries of Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Nigeria. He is a recognized public health sector leader, with technical expertise in the field of disease control including HIV/AIDS, TB, COVID-19 as well as maternal and child health. John has led country activities for FHI360 and EGPAF, including for eight years as Country Director for EGPAF in DRC and for nearly three years as Country Director for EGPAF in Cameroon. He initially joined EGPAF in 2009 as a prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV specialist, and prior to that worked as Clinical Manager for an NIH project in the Central Africa region where he supervised the implementation and monitoring of activities in 5 countries.
John has conducted several research studies related to HIV, TB, MNCH, and COVID-19, with more than 48 peer-reviewed published papers. He is a member of the WHO EMTCT Regional Validation Committee and also serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kinshasa School of Public Health. John received his degree in medicine from the University of Kinshasa, his master’s degree in public health from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, and his PhD from the University of Antwerp.
LAURA GUAY, MD
Vice President, Research
Dr. Laura Guay serves a dual appointment as vice president of research at EGPAF and as a research professor at The George Washington University (GWU) School of Public Health and Health Services. She received her M.D. from GWU in 1985, and went on to a pediatrics residency at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Guay was a visiting lecturer at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda from 1988 to 1991, and then returned to CWRU to complete her fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases. She then spent seven more years in Uganda, where she worked on the landmark HIVNET 012 trial, which determined the effectiveness of single-dose nevirapine in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Prior to joining GWU, Dr. Guay was a member of the faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her previous research focused on identifying interventions to reduce the rate of HIV transmission in breast-feeding infants and on the testing of an HIV vaccine in infants. Her current work focuses on how to translate the key scientific breakthroughs in HIV prevention and treatment in women and children into the field in settings with limited resources and infrastructure.
LILLIAN CHINYANGANYA
Country Manager, Zimbabwe
Dr. Chinyanganya started at EGPAF in January 2023. She is an accomplished Public Health physician with 15 years’ experience in clinical medicine, research studies and public health programming inclusive of HIV Care and Treatment, HIV Biomedical prevention, TB, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Maternal and Child Health, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Disease Surveillance, Orphans and Vulnerable Children both in general and priority populations such as Key Populations (KP) and Adolescent Girls and Young Women (DREAMS). Her core passion is in addressing underlying social determinants of health whilst scaling up effective, integrated, cost effective models of care. Lillian holds a medical degree from the University of Zimbabwe and a master of public health from Harvard University.
NGUAVESE TORBUNDE
Country Manager, Nigeria
Dr. Torbunde is a public health specialist with over 10 years’ experience working in the Nigerian health sector, who joined EGPAF in 2021. She has strong interests in programs for children, adolescents, and women. She has coordinated and led the implementation of several public health interventions and strategies targeted at reducing gaps along the prevention, care and treatment cascade for children and adolescents living with HIV in Nigeria. She contributed to a number of national documents in Nigeria, including National Care and Treatment Guidelines and the National Acceleration Plan for Pediatric and Adolescent HIV Care and Treatment (2020 – 2022). Dr. Torbunde previously worked at IHVN in Nigeria as Senior Program Officer/Program Area Lead – Pediatric/Adolescent HIV. She received her medical degree (M.B.B.S) from University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria and a Master’s in Public Health from Texila American University.
MPHATSO KACHULE
Country Director, Malawi
Ms. Kachule joined EGPAF in May 2023 after working at Riders for Health (R4H), where she served as their Malawi Country Director for the last ten years. In that capacity, Ms. Kachule worked with the Malawi Ministries of Health, Transport, and Local Government and other local and international health-focused organizations to provide a range of logistics and transport solutions for development. Programs she has worked on include the set up and implementation of the National Sample Transport program, key to the Malawi government’s HIV response and TB program. Ms. Kachule received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Malawi, Chancellor College, and a Master’s of Science in Strategic Management from the University of Derby (UK).
PATRICE TCHENDJOU, MD, MPH, PHD
Country Director, Cameroon
Dr. Patrice Tchendjou is a medical doctor and epidemiologist with 18 years of experience in the global health sector; with a high focus on PMTCT, AIDS pediatric care, and adult HIV/AIDS program management, epidemic and pandemic in low resource settings. He has extensive experience mobilizing diverse stakeholders for the implementation of comprehensive HIV programs (PMTCT, Pediatric, and Adult), TB programs, Burili Ulcer programs, and outbreak response at different levels of the health pyramid. He also has proven experience at the national level for advocacy, policy writing, strategic planning, resource mobilization, leadership, and partnership, as well as for strategic information and evaluation of programs, and operational research/surveillance. Additionally, Dr. Patrice Tchendjou has experience in the management of grants from a wide range of donor-funded projects including Glaxo Smith Kline Foundation (FGSK) and ViiV Healthcare; Global Fund (GF); French National Agency for HIV and Hepatitis (ANRS); Total Foundation; WHO; UNICEF; UNITAID and CDC-PEPFAR. He has managed multicultural, multiracial, and multidisciplinary teams at national and international levels.
Dr. Patrice is currently the Country Director for EGPAF in Cameroon. In this role, he is providing leadership in implementing high-quality HIV and AIDS programs. He is also providing effective and efficient management and supervision of country teams to manage various programs. Dr. Patrice is also helping the country program to provide continuous technical assistance and support to the Ministry of Public Health in order to address public health threats such as HIV/AIDS, TB, and COVID-19.
Dr. Patrice earned his MD degree from the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaoundé I-Cameroon in 2002; He also holds an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (2008) as well as a Ph.D. degree in Public Health (option Epidemiology) from Bordeaux Public Health School, France (2014). Dr. Patrice is a Member of several professional associations including CaSE (Cameroon Society of Epidemiologist); IAS (International AIDS Society) where he is also a reviewer of abstracts for conferences. He has authored and co-authored over 30 scientific papers indexed in Pub Med and written chapters of books in the area of HIV/AIDS.
PAUL FISHER, LL.B., MS
Chief Development Officer
Paul Fisher has held senior leadership positions in resource development in both the public and private sector, including Viacom International (Special Advisor on Corporate Social Responsibility), First Book, and the American Bar Association (ABA) Rule of Law Initiative. Most recently Paul served as Chief Development Officer at the World Justice Project, where he led all resource mobilization efforts, growing corporate partnerships and helping to drive Board engagement.
Paul spent 13 years with the Organization of American States in Washington D.C., as a legal and economic specialist and Director of Strategic Partnerships and Development, focusing primarily on human rights and social and economic development programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In 2014, Paul joined Georgetown University faculty as Adjunct Professor for the Master of Science in Foreign Service Program at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, teaching public and private partnerships and international development.
Paul has a law degree – LL.B. (J.D. equivalent) from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica and practiced international trade, commercial and maritime law for nine years before completing his Masters of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) in International Economics and Development at Georgetown University in 2003.
REFILOE LEBESE
Director, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Refiloe Lebese works closely with senior leadership, country management, and EGPAF staff across our global programs to achieve our DEI&B goals. She is an international human resources expert with more than 20 years’ experience managing and providing support to staff across North America, Africa, and Europe. Throughout her career at EGPAF that began in 2010, Refiloe has served as the organization’s HR Advisor, where she worked closely with program staff across Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Eswatini, and Mozambique while also supporting and overseeing the scale-up of operations in Lesotho, Mozambique, and Cameroon. She most recently served as the Director of People and Culture at Macro-Eyes. Refiloe holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in psychology from the University of the Western Cape and a post-graduate diploma in Human Resource Management from the University of Kwa-zulu Natal in South Africa.
SAJIDA JULIUS KIMAMBO, MD, MPH
Country Director, Tanzania
Dr. Sajida Julius Kimambo is a public health professional with over 14 years of professional experience in international development programs, global HIV/AIDS program management, clinical medicine, public health research and TB/HIV clinical research. She has expertise in leading and providing technical support to the Tanzania Ministry of Health on the design, implementation and monitoring of HIV/AIDS programs. A leader in policy development Dr. Kimambo has been a member of Pediatric and PMTCT technical working groups providing technical assistance and leadership to support policy review, adaptation and implementation for WHO guidelines for HIV Care and Treatment. Dr. Kimambo led the ACT initiative since inception in 2014 and as the CDC’s Public Health Specialist for Pediatric HIV Care and Treatment, Dr. Kimambo championed the expansion of the pediatric HIV program in Tanzania where she led and coordinated PEPFAR pediatric treatment activities at the national level. Dr. Kimambo, brings technical leadership in HIV programs, background in the donor world and the multilaterals and a strong professional network in Tanzania’s health sector. She most recently served as the Officer in Charge for HIV/AIDS /Senior HIV/AIDS Specialist with UNICEF’s country office in Tanzania, following several years with the Centers for Disease Control as Deputy Branch Chief/ Senior Public Health Specialist – Pediatric HIV Care and Treatment. She is the member of the Medical Association of Tanzania and Medical Women Association of Tanzania. Dr. Sajida has a Master’s in Public Health from Dartmouth Medical School , USA ( 2007) and a Degree in Medicine from Muhimbili University (2002).
SHABBIR ISMAIL ABBAS, MD, MPH
Senior Director, Strategic Information and Evaluation
Dr. Shabbir Abbas oversees program monitoring, evaluation, informatics, data use and quality management and improvement at EGPAF. As the senior director, Dr. Abbas ensures that the Foundation’s Strategic Information Standards are met across all the country programs, including that data collected are of optimal quality and are utilized to optimize EGPAF’s programs. Prior to EGPAF, Dr. Abbas led Harvard University’s Tanzania HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Program as the Assistant Country Director, where he provided technical oversight to the provision of HIV prevention, care and treatment services at more than 50 health facilities in Dar es Salaam. He also served in multiple roles at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) office in Ethiopia, including as Head of the Strategic Information Branch. Dr. Abbas also served as an Associate Professor of Public Health at Addis Ababa University. He holds a medical doctor degree and a master’s degree in public health from Addis Ababa University.
SHERIAN ABRAMITYS-YI
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
Sherian recently served as the Managing Director, People and Culture for Asia Society, a global nonprofit forging closer ties between Asia and the West through arts, education, policy and business outreach. Prior to her time at Asia Society, Sherian served as HR Director for International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Sr. Director, HR for International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), HR Business Partner for Helios HR, and Director, HR and Operations for Congressional Hunger Center. Sherian has a BA/MA in International Relations/International Policy Studies from Middlebury Institute of International Studies. She is fluent in French and received her Diplôme Supérieur d’Etudes Francaises Modernes from Alliance Française. Sherian also has certificates in Nonprofit Organizational Management and CHORDA (Conflict Management).
TRISH DEVINE KARLIN, MBA
Executive Vice President, External Affairs and Business Development
Trish Karlin is the Executive Vice President, External Affairs and Business Development, for EGPAF. Trish leads a global team that directs business planning, resource development, marketing and communications for EGPAF’s international programs, which represented $140 million in HIV service delivery, advocacy and research in 2013.
Trish joined EGPAF in its early days, and has supported its exponential growth over the past 20 years, particularly in the development and successful implementation of international AIDS care and research programs in countries hardest hit by the pandemic. Since joining EGPAF in 1994, Trish has played a central role in the establishment of HIV prevention and care programs in more than 20 countries, including India, China, and multiple countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Trish holds a Masters in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and a B.A. in Public Policy and Child Development from Hampshire College. Trish serves on the Advisory Board of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and on the Board of Directors of the John M Lloyd Foundation. Trish is a Senior Fellow at the USC Marshall School of Business Society and Business Lab.
TS’EPANG MOHLOMI
Country Director, Lesotho
Ms. Ts’epang Mohlomi is the country director for EGPAF in Lesotho and previously served as the Director of Operations overseeing the financial, operational, and human resource aspects of the EGPAF’s work in-country. She has more than 15 years of operational and strategic leadership experience and is skilled in establishing and building public-private partnerships in the Lesotho health sector. Prior to joining EGPAF, Ms. Mohlomi spent more than a decade working in various capacities for the Lesotho Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and with the National AIDS Commission. Key accomplishments include overseeing a complex procurement operation for the Millennium Challenge Account – Lesotho (MCA-L), where she managed the procurement and implementation of nearly 60 goods and consulting services to ensure compliance with donor regulations as well as a smooth transfer of goods and services. Ms. Mohlomi received her MSc in Health Economics from the University of York in England with a focus on health financing in Lesotho.
VEENA SAMPATHKUMAR
Regional Director
Veena Sampathkumar is one of EGPAF’s Regional Directors, supporting country programs in Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Previously, she served as the EGPAF Country Director in Malawi for six years. Veena has extensive experience leading and managing complex country programs in development, humanitarian and post-conflict contexts in Malawi, South Sudan/Sudan, Zimbabwe, Somalia, and India. Prior to EGPAF, Veena was Country Director of mothers2mothers in Malawi. She has a Master’s in International Development and Social Change from Clark University, Massachusetts.
YOLANDA BRIGNONI
Vice President, External Affairs
Yolanda Brignoni leads the communications and marketing team for EGPAF, directly managing communications activities that promote, enhance, and protect the organization’s mission and brand reputation. She has more than two decades of experience in communications strategy and crisis management, having directed communications campaigns for government, corporate and nonprofit clients, and amplified the work of UN agencies, ambassadors and celebrities. Yolanda most recently served as VP of Communications for Axios, a digital media company, where she was responsible for all external communications and media relations strategy and execution across the organization. She has also served as a VP at Subject Matter, a Strategic Communications Director for AARP overseeing their health portfolio, and a Communications Director of Public Affairs, Women and Population for the UN Foundation. Yolanda has won accolades for her work in communications and journalism, including awards from PRNEWS, PR Week and the Georgia Press Association. Her work with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Roundtable on Health Literacy was published in Health Literacy and Older Adults: Reshaping the Landscape (2018). Yolanda holds a B.A. in Newspapers and a B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Georgia and a M.P.A. in Public Administration from George Washington University.
