External Relations Office

The External Relations Office is responsible for setting GAVI’s strategy for engagement with external partners, and includes teams for Media & Information, Programme Funding, and Advocacy & Public Policy. In this capacity, External Relations coordinates extensively with stakeholders, communicating GAVI’s value and ensuring consistency of message and approach. The office leads all outreach to donors, keeping them informed and engaged in policy development. It also provides guidance and support in the development of innovative financing mechanisms. Through targeted outreach to multiple media groups, the office works to raise the visibility of immunisation, and to support shared partner strategies to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Finally, it ensures that GAVI is represented within the broader global health agenda, continually seeking new opportunities for partnership. The External Relations Office is led by Alex Palacios.

Mary O’Shea, Interim Director, External Relations
Mary O'Shea's background has been in human resources management with particular emphasis on change management and organisational development. She began her career on a fast track management training programme in local government in the UK. She spent 16 years in a range of HR roles in the UK’s National Health Service including Executive Director of HR for a large group of acute hospitals. Her commercial roles have been in the FMCG, travel, IT, private health care and retail sectors and have included international responsibilities in Europe, Middle East, Asia, South Africa, North, Central and South America. She holds a degree in History from the University of London, a Masters in Industrial Relations from the University of Keele and is a Fellow of the read Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Andrew Maguire, Executive Director, Immunize Every Child Campaign
Andy Maguire brings high-level leadership experience in government, business, and the non-profit sector to GAVI’s new private-sector fund-raising effort. At the US Department of State, Andy served on delegations to the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council, where he specialised in Middle East, US-Soviet, and Africa policy. He was elected to the US House of Representatives from New Jersey and served three terms. I Congress he championed health, economic, energy, environment, and foreign policy legislation, and led on issues relating to children and youth, ethics and congressional reform. During 12 years as President and CEO of the not-for-profit EnterpriseWorks Worldwide, Andy led a strategic realignment that privatised the organisation’s funding base and expanded incomes for hundreds of thousands of micro and small business clients in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He has served as vice president of the World Resources Institute and as a board member and advisor to foundations, corporations, nongovernmental organisations, and public agencies. Andy holds a PhD from Harvard University.

Jeffrey Rowland, Head, Media and Information
Jeffrey Rowland is an international media, communications and fund-raising professional with nearly 20 years’ experience in business development and management in both the private and public sectors. He joined GAVI in 2007 from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) where he had worked for nine years - his most recent position, Deputy Director of the Private Donor Relations Division. In this role he set fund-raising strategy, led the acquisition of new donors and built partnerships with donor companies. Prior to this, he held the positions of Senior Corporate Communications Officer, managing external and internal communications, and Spokesperson, working in the press office - both at WFP. A former Washington Post reporter, from 1988 to 1993, Jeffrey has also directed international public relations campaigns for the global PR agency Ketchum from 1995 to 1998.

Geoff Adlide, Head, Advocacy and Public Policy
Geoff Adlide's career spans both the public and the private sector, drawing on his skills in outreach and public policy. He joined GAVI in 2007 from the Australian Mission to the United Nations in Geneva where he was a Counsellor for Development. Prior to this, he held several posts at AusAID, including Director of the Cambodia, Burma and Thailand section, various posts in the Pacific Islands leading aid programme management and development, and AusAID's Senior Public Affairs Officer in Canberra. From 1998 to 2001 he was First Secretary (Development Cooperation) at the Australian High Commission in Suva. Originally a radio journalist, Geoff worked for six years for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation before moving into public relations and policy work with Aboriginal organisations in Australia, which paved the way for his governmental development work. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Communications) and has undertaken further studies in development and anthropology.

Linda Bifani, Head, Programme Funding
Linda Bifani has been an active member of the international development community for more than 20 years. Before joining the GAVI Alliance in January 2006, Linda worked with UNICEF in Brussels, Belgium, helping to strengthen relations with European Union institutions. She began her UNICEF career in 1989 supporting public health programmes in The Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Malaysia. Other appointments within UNICEF included New York headquarters, where she worked on organisational reform in the Office of the Executive Director, and strengthening of the evaluation function in the Office of Evaluation and Research. Prior to UNICEF, she worked with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) developing strategies for engaging international NGOs. Her NGO experience included both coordinating development education programmes within Canada, as well as helping ensure the benefits of national health programmes reached marginalised communities within Indonesia.