Chief Executive Officer, Vital Strategies

Job Description

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 –

• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Vital Strategies uses evidence to generate insights, inform action and set priorities that drive effective policymaking.
• Policymaking for Health: The organization supports locally led policy solutions, such as legislative and regulatory actions that shape the physical and social contexts in which people live.
• Strategic Communication and Advocacy: Vital strategies uses rigorous research and compelling storytelling to mount communication campaigns that aim to change policy and behavior.
• Program Implementation: The organization promotes sustainable solutions such as the enforcement of policies and delivery of services to make systems operate effectively to protect and promote health.

Strategic Focus Areas –

• Urban Health: As the majority of the world moves to live in cities, Vital Strategies will drive health and equity through promoting clean air, water, access to services and policies that build health.
• Environmental Health and Climate Change: The organization works in partnership with government entities to reduce harmful emissions that are the leading environmental drivers of death and disability and contribute to the existential threat of climate change.
• Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs): Vital Strategies aims to tackle noncommunicable diseases like cancer, diabetes and lung disease by addressing the leading risk factors of tobacco, diet, alcohol and air pollution.
• Injury Prevention: Vital Strategies addresses the leading killers of young adults – drug overdose and road injury -by looking at root causes, including inequity, and promoting sustainable solutions.
• Public Health Systems: Vital Strategies strengthens public health institutions to collect and analyze data towards the uptake of targeted policy solutions.

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:

• Lead and evolve the strategic, programmatic, financial, and operational leadership of the organization and ensure Vital Strategies’ reputation as a trusted partner working across governments, multilaterals, philanthropic partners, the private sector, and local institutions to mobilize resources and achieve measurable outcomes in improving public health in lasting ways.
• Work in collaboration with the Board on all matters of strategic objectives, mission and governance and ensure that the Board is kept fully informed on the operating and financial condition of the organization and of important internal and external influencing factors.
• Grow and diversify sources of and approaches to funding as the organization’s work scales its impact.
• Recruit, retain and develop a dynamic and high-performing leadership team and promote constructive dialogue and collaboration among people and across organizational structures to work toward new possibilities.
• Maintain and expand Vital Strategies official relations with key international organizations to ensure that Vital Strategies work and perspective informs discussions on global health and that the organization is able to collaborate and contribute to the development of technical guidelines on its focus areas.
• Ensure that the organization meets its commitments and obligations to all its stakeholders, including governments and donors and its programs meet the highest standards of quality.
• Steward and nurture a unique and inclusive organizational culture, one that at its very foundation embraces diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, passion, accountability, excellence, humility, and empathy for all stakeholders, staff, and partners.
• Provide leadership and build cohesion across the global offices.

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:

• The ability to create and articulate an inspiring vision for the organization.
• The inclination to seek and analyze data from a variety of sources to support decisions and to align others with the organization’s overall strategy.
• An entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the sector.
• The ability to effectively balance the desire/need for broad change with an understanding of how much change the organization is capable of handling, to create realistic goals and implementation plans that are achievable and successful.

Executing Results:

• The ability to set clear and challenging goals while committing the organization to improved performance; tenacious and accountable in driving results.
• Comfort with ambiguity and uncertainty; the ability to adapt nimbly and lead others through complex situations.
• A risk-taker who seeks data and input from others to foresee possible threats or unintended circumstances from decisions; someone who takes smart risks.
• A leader who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in their approach to making decisions; the ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner while always taking into account what is best for the organization.

Leading Teams:

• The ability to attract and recruit top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage performance; widely viewed as a strong developer of others.
• The ability to persevere in the face of challenges and exhibit a steadfast resolve and relentless commitment to higher standards, which commands respect from followers.
• Experience leading complex organizations through times of transition.
• A leader who is self-reflective and aware of their own limitations; leads by example and drives the organization’s performance; has an attitude of continuous improvement, is open to feedback and is committed to fostering a learning culture.

Relationships and Influence:

• Naturally connects and builds strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.
• Experience optimizing engagement at all levels, including Boards of Directors.
• An ability to inspire trust and followership in others through compelling influence, powerful charisma, passion in their beliefs, and active drive.
• Has a track record of cultivating inclusive environments, encouraging others to share the spotlight and visibly celebrating and supporting the success of their team.
• Creates a sense of purpose/meaning for the team that generates followership beyond their own personality and engages others to the greater purpose for the organization as a whole.

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 OVCareer. 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.