As CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mark Suzman leads the organization in service of its mission – which is to help every person have the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life.
Over the past several years, the world has grappled with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Our lives have changed significantly, but one organization in particular and the man at its helm, Mark Suzman, has worked tirelessly at closing the vaccine gap globally while also addressing food insecurity. Suzman took over as CEO of the Gates Foundation immediately before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of 2020, and during his time as CEO, Suzman has targeted nearly all the organization’s resources on developing and distributing COVID-19 vaccines. Suzman has explained, “We cannot defeat this pandemic unless everyone, everywhere, has a chance to get vaccinated.”
We face urgent challenges that require sustained action. Today, the @GatesFoundation is announcing our intent to increase our payout by 50% from our pre-pandemic level, from $6 billion to $9 billion annually https://t.co/7EBlJVHexE
— Mark Suzman (@MSuzman) July 13, 2022
Mark Suzman’s bio is nothing short of impressive. Being raised in apartheid South Africa instilled in Mark an inclination to use the advantages afforded to him to help tackle injustice and inequality. He began his career supporting social reform through journalism, writing for the Johannesburg Star and then the Financial Times, where he covered international trade policy, welfare reform, and political issues, including the historic 1994 election of Nelson Mandela. In 2000, Mark joined the United Nations, where he was part of the effort to implement the Millennium Development Goals under the leadership of then Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Global food insecurity & poverty have only been exacerbated by #COVID19 & the war in Ukraine. The key theme of yesterday’s @gzeromedia town hall was the need for swift, bold, & sustained action. Thank you to @ianbremmer for having me https://t.co/jpBLv0ZWOq
— Mark Suzman (@MSuzman) July 12, 2022
Since joining the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2007 as director of Global Development Policy, Advocacy, and Special Initiatives, he has made a big impact. Prior to becoming CEO, he served as managing director of Country Offices, president of Global Policy and Advocacy, and chief strategy officer- he is also credited with implementing a new system for how the foundation measures impact and manages tradeoffs across its strategic priorities.
During #COVID19 the transition to digital wages helped mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic around the world—Bangladesh being one example. As this case study shows, digital financial inclusion can help advance gender equity & empower the workforce https://t.co/WXxJfk7tF3
— Mark Suzman (@MSuzman) June 29, 2022
Since becoming CEO, Suzman has led the Gates Foundation’s $1.75 billion investment into creating and distributing effective COVID-19 vaccines for the developing world, claiming that life cannot go back to normal until everyone in the world has the opportunity to receive a vaccine. He’s also cited gender equality as one of his primary priorities, claiming that progress depends upon promoting gender equality. Suzman has advocated especially for the increased education of women and girls, arguing that female literacy reduces child marriages, improves health, and lowers teenage birth rates. In the open letter he penned about his reflections when he became CEO at the start of 2020, he shares how his upbringing in apartheid South Africa helped shape him and continues to fuel him towards striving for a world with true equality.
HFR founder Samir Becic recognizes how fortunate the world is to have such a great health advocate leading one of the most prominent and effective non-profits globally.
Today, we received Warren Buffett’s annual gift, bringing his contributions to more than $36 billion since 2006. Thank you, Warren for your continued generosity and your belief in the mission of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. https://t.co/jrCBMRSBM4 pic.twitter.com/fiD3MHxHmy
— Mark Suzman (@MSuzman) June 14, 2022
