Helen Clark Appointed New Chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
The Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has unanimously appointed Rt Hon Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, as its new Chair, effective January 2026.
Clark will succeed Professor José Manuel Barroso, who completes his second term at the end of 2025 after five years of leading Gavi through some of the most challenging and transformative moments in its history.
A seasoned global leader, Helen Clark brings extensive experience in governance, international development, and multilateral cooperation. She served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, before heading the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for two terms until 2017.
She currently serves as President of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in London and holds positions on several international boards and commissions.
Her appointment follows an eight-month global search involving 240 candidates. Gavi’s Board cited her proven leadership in national and international institutions, her experience in multistakeholder governance, and her strong commitment to global health and equity.
“I am honoured to be selected as the next Chair of Gavi,” said Helen Clark. “For 25 years, Gavi has worked to protect children from preventable diseases, enabling countries to grow and prosper. The coming years bring many challenges and opportunities, and I am excited to help the Alliance achieve its most ambitious goals yet. I also wish to pay tribute to José Manuel for his exceptional leadership over the past five years.”
During his tenure, Professor Barroso guided Gavi through the COVID-19 pandemic, supported the restoration of routine immunisation, and oversaw the introduction of malaria vaccines and the scale-up of HPV vaccination programmes. He also helped secure resources for Gavi’s next strategic period, beginning in 2026, through a successful replenishment campaign.
Reflecting on his time as Chair, Professor Barroso said: “When I joined Gavi in 2021, the world was facing its worst public health crisis in a century. I am proud of how the Alliance helped deliver two billion COVID-19 vaccine doses, restore immunisation coverage, and roll out transformative tools such as the malaria vaccine. I am confident Helen will build on this progress with her deep experience and commitment to global health.”
Clark’s term begins as Gavi enters its sixth strategic period (2026–2030), which will prioritise expanding access to immunisation in fragile and conflict-affected areas and advancing the Gavi Leap reform programme, a major effort to place partner countries at the centre of Gavi’s operations.
Gavi Chief Executive Officer Dr Sania Nishtar welcomed Clark’s appointment, stating: “Helen is a respected global leader whose knowledge and experience will be of immense value to Gavi as we navigate our next phase. I look forward to working closely with her as we strive to meet our most ambitious goals. I also extend my deepest gratitude to José Manuel, who leaves Gavi in an excellent position to face the future.”
With Helen Clark’s appointment, Gavi looks set to continue strengthening global vaccine equity, resilience, and innovation, building on its legacy of protecting over one billion children from preventable diseases since its founding in 2000.
