Everything you need to know about Helen Clark, Gavi’s next Board Chair
The Vaccine Alliance has announced that Helen Clark will serve as its next Board Chair, beginning January 2026.
- 6 October 2025
- 4 min read
- by Gavi Staff
The Gavi Board has unanimously approved the selection of the Rt Hon Helen Clark as its new Chair, beginning January 2026. She will succeed Professor José Manuel Barroso, who served two terms as Chair from 2021–2025.
Helen Clark joins at a pivotal time for global immunisation. With Professor Barroso having overseen a successful replenishment, securing funding for Gavi’s next five-year period which starts in January, the new Chair’s experience will prove vital as Gavi sharpens its focus on improving immunisation services in fragile and conflict-affected regions and executes an ambitious reform programme, the Gavi Leap, that places the countries Gavi supports at the heart of its operating model.
Here's everything you need to know about Gavi’s new Board Chair.
Who is Helen Clark?
The Rt Hon Helen Clark was Prime Minister of New Zealand for three successive terms, from 1999–2008.
Throughout her tenure as Prime Minister and as a Member of Parliament over 27 years, Helen Clark engaged widely in policy development and advocacy across the international affairs, economic, social, environmental and cultural spheres.
She held a range of ministerial portfolios from 1987–1990, including as Minister of Health. Prior to entering Parliament, Clark taught in the University of Auckland’s Political Studies Department. She graduated with Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts (Hons) degrees from the University of Auckland.
In April 2009, Helen Clark became Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She was the first woman to lead the organisation and served two terms there. As Administrator, she led UNDP to be ranked the most transparent global development organisation. She completed her tenure in April 2017.
She is currently President of the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, co-chaired the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response and is a member of The Elders.
“I am honoured to be selected as the next Chair of Gavi,” said Helen Clark upon accepting the role. “For 25 years, Gavi has worked to protect children from preventable disease and thereby helped countries grow, prosper and become more self-sufficient.
“The coming years will bring many challenges for Gavi, but also huge opportunities, and I am excited to play a role in helping it meet its most ambitious goals yet. I am also honoured to succeed José Manuel, who has led Gavi for the past five years.”
How and why was the new Chair selected?
The Gavi Board created a Search Committee comprising senior representatives from Gavi implementing countries, donors and Alliance partners to identify the next Board Chair, with the process beginning in March 2025.
A total of 240 candidates were then considered for the role over the course of eight months before Helen Clark was recommended to the Board. Her selection was approved by unanimous vote.
In recommending her for selection, the Search Committee cited Helen's deep experience at the top of national and international government, her experience chairing multistakeholder organisations similar to Gavi, as well as her track record as a leader and mentor.
Welcoming the news, Gavi CEO Dr Sania Nishtar said: “Helen is a respected global leader whose knowledge and experience will be of tremendous value to Gavi as we navigate our next strategic period.”
What is the role of Gavi’s Board?
The Gavi Board is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the Vaccine Alliance and policy-making, as well as overseeing Gavi’s operations and monitoring programme implementation.
With membership drawn from a range of partner organisations, as well as experts from the private sector, the Gavi Board provides a forum for balanced strategic decision-making, innovation and partner collaboration.
What happens now?
Professor José Manuel Barroso will continue to serve as Board Chair until the end of the year, chairing his final Board meeting in December 2025.
During his two terms as Board Chair, Professor Barroso oversaw the transition of leadership of the Secretariat, culminating in the appointment of Dr Sania Nishtar as Chief Executive Officer in January 2024. Professor Barroso also oversaw Gavi’s successful replenishment, securing funding for Gavi’s next strategic period, starting in 2026.
“When I joined Gavi in 2021, the world was in the throes of the world’s worst public health crisis in a hundred years,” said José Manuel Barroso. “I have been humbled to serve as Chair over the subsequent five years as Gavi helped to deliver 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines, restore routine immunisation coverage and introduce powerful new tools such as the malaria vaccine.
“While I look back with pride, I can also look forward with confidence, as Helen has an excellent track record as a leader and as a champion of global health, development, and many other issues central to Gavi’s mission.”
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