14 February 2023 · Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy

Call for Nominations: Leadership Team Chair

The Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy (GPZL) envisions a world without leprosy: no disease, no disability, no discrimination, and no stigma. GPZL facilitates alignment of the leprosy community and accelerates effective collaborative action toward the goal of zero leprosy, to be achieved by 2030. The Partnership’s work is focused in three areas:  accelerating research, working with National Leprosy Programmes (NLP), and increasing advocacy and resource mobilization.

GPZL was launched in January 2018 by the World Health Organization (observer), the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP), the Sasakawa Health Foundation, the International Association for Integration, Dignity and Economic Advancement (IDEA), and Novartis Pharmaceutical. GPZL is led by its Leadership Team (LT), which reflects the diversity of stakeholders engaged in leprosy prevention and control. The LT includes representatives from the founding partners, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur for Leprosy (observer) and representatives from National Leprosy Programmes, the International Leprosy Association, and the academic community. The Secretariat is hosted at the Task Force for Global Health. 

The LT ensures that the Partnership meets its objectives. The LT establishes strategic direction, provides oversight to the Secretariat, establishes and engages working groups, and advocates with key stakeholders. Leadership Team members meet quarterly: twice virtually and twice at biannual in-person conferences. All decisions are recorded and shared publicly.

Leadership Team Chair

The Chair-elect serves under the chair for one year before assuming the role of chair for a two-year term, renewable once, totalling five years on the Leadership Team. The chair oversees the Leadership Team, Steering Committee, and pillar groups, and liaises between the Secretariat and the Leadership Team. The chair is a voting member of the Leadership Team.

The chair is an internationally-respected person in public health who serves on the board in his/her own capacity, not as a representative of his/her organization. The chair should not be affiliated with a donor organization. The chair should lead without authority and should have prior leadership and governance experience. She/he is experienced in planning, facilitating, and guiding the co-creation of solutions to complex topics. She/He should oversee long-term planning and ensure that the Partnership’s activities align with the vision.  She/He should be a strong communicator and be able to represent GPZL independently to external audiences. Leprosy experience is helpful but not essential.

Selection Process

The chair will be self-nominated. Candidates will be reviewed by the Leadership Team. A small subgroup of the LT will meet to review applications and narrow the field of candidates, make decisions about interviewing candidates, and present their suggestions to the Leadership Team ahead of a vote. To apply, send your resume and cover letter to our current Leadership Team Chair, Bill Simmons, at [email protected] by 28 February 2023.