Hester Kuipers | Executive Director Europe
IAVI

Hester Kuipers leads the IAVI European office and Netherlands-registered foundation, overseeing the External Affairs program, encompassing advocacy, policy, communications and resource mobilization. She helps drive organizational strategies and financial sustainability initiatives as a member of IAVI’s senior leadership team. Hester has over 25 years’ experience in global health R&D fundraising, advocacy, external relations and communications, in both the non-profit and for-profit sector. She leads the design and conduct of key convenings and contributes to the development of policy, position and thought pieces to help advance pressing global health R&D challenges, with a focus on innovative and sustainable financing, political leadership and civil society support. She is a member of the Product Development Partnerships (PDP) coalition, represents IAVI in the G20&G7 Health and Development Partnership, and co-leads the secretariat of the Global TB Vaccine Partnership, a network of funders, product developers and policy makers. Hester holds an MSc in Biology from the University of Utrecht, and previously worked at Imutran, a Novartis Company, and at Excerpta Medica, an Elsevier business.