The Rockefeller Foundation Appoints Two Esteemed Leaders to Board of Trustees

NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rockefeller Foundation announced today the appointment of two new members to its Board of Trustees: Dr. Agnes Binagwaho and Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli. They will began their tenure as Trustees on November 21^st, 2019.

"It is a pleasure to welcome Agnes and Ndidi to our Board of Trustees. As the Foundation works to lift up the most vulnerable people in communities around the world, their deep global development expertise and longstanding commitment to improving lives will be invaluable to the organization," said Board Chair Richard D. Parsons. "Agnes and Ndidi have demonstrated and been recognized for their dedication and leadership in global health and agriculture, respectively, which are core areas of the Foundation's work. I know I speak for the entire Board in saying we are thrilled to welcome them to The Rockefeller Foundation."

"I feel extremely fortunate to have Agnes and Ndidi join our Board of Trustees.  Agnes has helped change the national health landscape as a member of the government of Rwanda, and is an important leader in the field of global health," said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. "Ndidi has worked with the public and private sectors to champion solutions that have improved the lives of vulnerable people in Nigeria and around the world. Their deep personal commitment and extensive experience will make them invaluable to our efforts to advance The Rockefeller Foundation's mission to inspire and foster large-scale human impact that promotes the well-being of humanity throughout the world."

Dr. Binagwaho has served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity, an initiative of Partners In Health, since 2017.  From 2002-2016, she served the Rwandan Health Sector in high-level government positions, first as the Executive Secretary of Rwanda's National AIDS Control Commission, then as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, and later spent five years as the Minister of Health.  She is also a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, a Professor of the Practice of Global Health Delivery at the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, and an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. She completed her MD in General Medicine at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles and her MA in Pediatrics at the Universite de Bretagne Occidentale.

"I have long admired the work of The Rockefeller Foundation and I am delighted to join the Board of Trustees. The Foundation's work advancing new frontiers, especially with respect to health and science, continues to touch the lives of so many around the world, and I look forward to helping support the advancement of that work," said Dr. Agnes Binagwaho.

Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is a Co-Founder of Sahel Consulting: Agriculture & Nutrition Ltd. and serves as its managing partner helping shape agriculture strategy and policy and implementing large-scale, innovative programs in West Africa in partnership with the public, private and nonprofit sectors. With more than 23 years of experience in international development, Ms. Nwuneli was recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, received a National Honour (Member of the Federal Republic) from the Nigerian Government and was listed as one of the 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa by Forbes. Ms. Nwuneli is also the co-founder of AACE Foods, a social enterprise that processes nutritious food made from the best of West Africa's cereals, herbs, pulses and spices.  She is the founder of LEAP Africa, which works across Africa inspiring, empowering and equipping the next generation of dynamic, principled and innovative young leaders. Ms. Nwuneli received her MBA from Harvard Business School, and her undergraduate degree with honors in Multinational and Strategic Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

"The Rockefeller Foundation's efforts to scale innovations that help meet the needs of the most vulnerable communities around the world are just as important now as they were when the Foundation was founded. I am honored to join the Board of Trustees to support the Foundation as it continues to build on its legacy of leveraging data, technology and innovation to improve the well-being of humanity," said Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli.

About The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation advances new frontiers of science, data, and innovation to solve global challenges related to health, food, power, and economic mobility. As a science-driven philanthropy focused on building collaborative relationships with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation seeks to inspire and foster large-scale human impact that promotes the well-being of humanity throughout the world by identifying and accelerating breakthrough solutions, ideas, and conversations. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @RockefellerFdn.

SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation

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