Chief Executive Officer, Vital Strategies
PLEASE NOTE: Russell Reynolds Associates has been exclusively retained for this search. Prospective candidates are invited to send their CV and a cover letter to VitalStrategiesCEO@russellreynolds.com. All inquiries, recommendations and discussions will be considered strictly confidential. Any applications not sent through Russell Reynolds will not be considered.
Vital Strategies is an international public health organization. Its programs strengthen public health systems and address the world's leading causes of illness, injury, and death. Vital Strategies currently works in 80 countries, supporting data-driven decision-making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Vital Strategies' priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include non-communicable disease prevention and commercial determinants of health (tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods); injury prevention (including drug overdose, road safety, and gender-based violence); and environmental health (including air quality and lead poisoning). The organization’s programs are primarily concentrated in low-and middle-income countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific. Vital Strategies is also the lead partner in a national overdose prevention program that brings in a comprehensive approach to reduce drug overdose deaths in seven US states.
Vital Strategies is a global organization of innovators, scientists, researchers, advocates, communicators, and collaborators working in partnership to reimagine evidence-based, locally driven policies and practices to advance public health.
Whether the issue is air quality, transport, food, tobacco, drug use or infectious disease, Vital Strategies is helping to address some of the world's most difficult health problems at their root to make life- saving progress, particularly in the areas of urban health, noncommunicable disease and injury prevention, climate change and systems strengthening. Its dedicated team of 400+ experts work in 80 countries with offices in New York City, São Paulo, Jinan, Addis Ababa, Paris, New Delhi and Singapore.
Vital Strategies is a leading global public health organization and a trusted partner of governments and civil society organizations around the world. It helps governments acquire the knowledge and tools they need to make rapid progress against cancer, heart disease, obesity, epidemic diseases, drug overdose, road crashes and other leading causes of disease, injury and death.
Vital Strategies’ unique combination of expertise in data-driven decision-making, policymaking for health, strategic communication and advocacy, and program implementation allows it to partner with governments and civil society organizations to take a broad and multifaceted approach to address today's leading public health challenges, manage large-scale health initiatives, and help shape global health priorities. For additional information about Vital Strategies’ work, please visit its website.
Key Approaches –
Strategic Focus Areas –
Background and Context:
The idea for Vital Strategies was born in 2003 when the founders, including outgoing President and Chief Executive Officer José Luis Castro, agreed to take on a complex challenge: Working towards a future where lifesaving drugs were no longer stuck on loading docks, or where critical data sat unexamined while policies stalled on the public agenda. The organization they envisioned would be driven by the belief that every person deserves to be protected by a strong and equitable public health system. It would ground its work in scientific evidence and best-practice approaches, form strong working partnerships with governments and civil society groups, and act with a speed that matched the urgency of the challenge.
Vital Strategies began as the World Lung Foundation and was originally focused on tobacco control. In January 2016, the organization as it is today was formed through the merger of the World Lung Foundation and The Union, North America.
Under its founding CEO, the organization grew from a very small organization to over 108 million USD in 2023. Respected and effective, it has garnered global recognition for its work. After much rich history, José is stepping down from his role and Vital Strategies is now seeking a new Chief Executive Officer to guide them into their next chapter of global impact.
The Role:
Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vital Strategies will be a proven and inspiring leader who utilizes their global experiences and leadership to build on the strong reputation and legacy of the organization. The next leader of Vital Strategies will develop and implement the overall organizational strategy, further defining and charting the path forward for the organization while guiding and empowering the Vital Strategies team to develop innovative ways to be even more impactful.
This leader will have the critical global outlook and management expertise to work effectively across the organization’s $100M portfolio of programmatic activities in 80 countries around the globe. The successful candidate will effectively grow and build partnerships across the non-profit, philanthropic, government, and business sectors to accomplish the work and deliver on the organization’s mission.
The CEO will lead and manage sustainable growth by making an effective case to governments, donors, and global and/or local health organizations to seek out and rely on Vital Strategies’ unique skill set and expertise in implementing transformative public health initiatives. This leader will also seek opportunities to grow and diversify the organization’s fundraising to further the organization’s impact.
The CEO will lead Vital Strategies as a strong voice in global health, elevate the organization in the corridors of influence, and ensure its presence and contributions are felt at the most important global health forums. The successful candidate will serve as an ambassador thought leader, and advocate for Vital Strategies’ mission and will be the driving force of a powerful brand.
The CEO will work to build bridges and develop relationships in a variety of settings to advance the mission of Vital Strategies, stewarding a growing community of donors and partners. The CEO will be an active participant and leader in the press, thought leadership opportunities, and international convenings. The CEO will build relationships and serve as the organization’s spokesperson, convening and partnering with donors and other key stakeholders to define the agenda and solutions to contribute to the future of global development. The successful candidate will work to build bridges and develop relationships in a variety of settings to advance the mission of Vital Strategies.
The CEO will be responsible for leading and developing Vital Strategies into a top-tier global public health organization and a powerful brand. Under the successful candidate’s leadership, Vital Strategies will implement multiple major global and national health initiatives with expediency, high quality, and within budget.
Specific job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Candidate Profile:
The ideal candidate for this role will possess a robust background and expertise in global health, demonstrating a keen understanding of the evolving landscape and Vital Strategies’ role within it. Their experience should reflect a comprehensive grasp of global health challenges and solutions, coupled with a proven track record of driving impactful initiatives.
The successful candidate will bring an international lens to their work, showcasing a nuanced understanding of global development challenges and a history of leveraging multidimensional, multisectoral experience. This includes a demonstrated desire and ability to collaborate with and among executive governments and ministries, civil society and with philanthropy, as well as a deep understanding of the intricacies of working in diverse international environments. The candidate will bring high emotional intelligence, unique partnership building experience, and an entrepreneurial approach to the work.
An essential aspect of this role involves effective fundraising. The ideal candidate will possess a track record of developing and executing on innovative fundraising strategies, securing support from a variety of sources, including philanthropic entities and governments. In addition, the candidate should have a track record of effectively managing complex organizations and teams with a global mandate, showcasing the ability to implement efficient and effective organizational structure and processes in a similar organization.
Attributes of the position include the following:
Setting Strategy:
Executing Results:
Leading Teams:
Relationships and Influence:
Compensation and Location:
The compensation available for the role considers a variety of factors including, but not limited to, work location, individual skill set, previous/applicable experience, and other organizational needs. The estimated salary range is $500,000 - $600,000.
The above salary range represents Vital Strategies good faith and reasonable estimate of the possible base salary range at the time of posting and is one part of the total rewards that the organization provides to employees. There is a strong preference for the successful candidate to spend a majority of their time in New York City.
Contact:
Russell Reynolds Associates has been exclusively retained for this search. Prospective candidates are invited to send their CV and a cover letter to VitalStrategiesCEO@russellreynolds.com . All inquiries, recommendations and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
The team at Vital Strategies believes their programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by individuals with diverse life experiences, whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make their work and workforce more inclusive. They encourage people of all racial, economic, social, cultural, sexual orientation, and gender expressions to apply. As such, their commitment is to promote equal employment opportunities (EEO) for all applicants seeking employment. People of color, women, LGBTQI+ people and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. To read about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Vital Strategies, please visit https://www.vitalstrategies.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-at-vital-strategies/.