Posted on February 7, 2006

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Tachi Yamada Named Director of Gates Foundation's Global Health Program

The Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has named Dr. Tadataka (Tachi) Yamada as executive director of its global health program.

In that position, Yamada, who currently serves as chairman of research and development at global pharmaceutical-giant GlaxoSmithKline, will lead the foundation's efforts to develop and deliver drugs, vaccines, and other tools to fight developing-world diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Beginning in June, he will oversee the foundation's global health grant portfolio, which includes more than $5.7 billion in active grants.

Yamada has been chairman of research and development at GSK, where he oversaw more than a hundred clinical projects, a budget exceeding $4 billion, and more than fifteen thousand employees, since 2001, and has been a member of the company's board since 2004. Prior to that, he held several senior positions at SmithKline Beecham over five years. In addition, he previously served as chairman of the department of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, where he continues to serve as an adjunct professor of internal medicine.

"Melinda and I are thrilled to have someone with Dr. Yamada's breadth of experience leading the foundation's work on global health," said Bill Gates. "He's organized the best talent around big challenges, knows what it takes to bring promising science from the lab to people in need, and understands how to engage new partners. We look forward to working with him to help close the gap in health between rich and poor countries."

“Tachi Yamada Selected to Lead Gates Foundation's Global Health Program.” Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Press Release 2/06/06.

Primary Subject: Philanthropy and Voluntarism
Secondary Subject(s): Health
Location(s): Global

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