His Excellency William Ruto is president of the Republic of Kenya and chair of the Committee of the African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change.

Willo Brock is vice president, external affairs at FIND. He has three decades of bringing together people, for-profit organizations, governments, and civil society to tackle global issues of insecurity and inequality and develop effective programs giving people opportunities for growth and development.

Willy Bergogné is the director of Save the Children Europe. Willy brings over two decades of leadership in the humanitarian and development sectors. With a robust background managing large and complex operations across various countries, Willy is committed to driving positive change and enhancing children’s lives through strategic partnerships and impactful influence efforts.

Wim Parys is the head of research and development at Janssen's global public health group. He was development head of Janssen’s infectious diseases and vaccines therapeutic area and he led the discovery and development of other medicines for HIV, hepatitis C, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and respiratory viral diseases. He held several R&D positions and developed a drug for Alzheimer’s disease and three innovative HIV drugs. He obtained his medical degree from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.

As a research and data associate with the Center for Transformational Partnerships in USAID’s Global Development Lab, through Dexis Consulting Group, Winnette performs research and data analysis on the agency’s public-private partnerships. She also conducts research on social entrepreneurship and other innovative approaches to private-sector engagement as a tool to advance development efforts globally. She is a recent graduate of Emory University’s master’s in development practice program, with concentrations in rights, ethics and governance.

Winnie Byanyima is the executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. A grass-roots activist, human rights advocate, and world-recognized expert on women’s rights, she began her career as an engineer in her native Uganda. Appointed to the diplomatic service in 1989, she represented Uganda in France and at UNESCO. She was a member of parliament for 10 years in Uganda, and thereafter served at the African Union Commission. She was UNDP’s director of gender and development between 2006 and 2013.

Winter Okoth is the founder at Pamoja Kenya Mentorship Alliance and a devoted malaria champion for Nothing But Nets, a United Nations Foundation malaria advocacy campaign. Winter earned her double-major bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Thomas More University and a Master of Science degree in molecular microbiology and immunology from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Wiweka Kaszubska is the executive vice president, head of product development at Medicines for Malaria Venture. She is responsible for the late-stage development portfolio of anti-malarial drugs. Prior to joining MMV in 2012 and pursuing her interest in global health, she spent over 15 years in the pharmaceutical industry working across all phases of drug development. She obtained a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, and a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Chicago.

This opinion piece is co-authored by leading members of the team at Women in Global Health: Roopa Dhatt, executive director; Áine Markham, director of the Gender Transformative Leadership Program; Samiratou Ouedraogo, Francophone West Africa co-founder; Dr Magda Robalo, global managing director.

Woochong Um is the CEO of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, leading strategy and finance mobilization to accelerate renewable energy in emerging economies. Formerly Asian Development Bank’s managing director general, he spearheaded global partnerships, climate finance, and sustainability initiatives. His expertise in multistakeholder strategies drives GEAPP’s mission to tackle energy poverty and climate change through a just transition.