Global Fund Board selects new executive director

The board of the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced on 8 February that it has selected Michel Kazatchkine – Frances global ambassador for HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases and a former Global Fund vice chair – to serve as the organisations new executive director.

The Global Fund in November 2006 called off plans to name a new executive director to succeed Richard Feachem – whose contract ends in March – and launched a new search. Board members at closed meetings in November 2006 were unable to agree on one of two finalists. At that time, the final two candidates were Kazatchkine and Michel Sidibe, director of UNAIDS country and regional support department, according to meeting participants. Sidibe withdrew his candidacy for the position.

According to a previous report, a nomination committee in January named nine candidates for the executive direction position. Three final candidates were named last month: Kazatchkine, David Nabarro, a senior WHO administrator, and Alex Coutinho, manager of AIDS treatment programs in Uganda.

The boards official vote tally is not immediately available, but Kazatchkine received the two-third majority required for approval.