Newly joined Vice President to provide leadership for IAVI's fundraising strategy

www.iavi.orgAug 20 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.