AHF Team, industry leaders, and advocacy KOLs at the 1st Congress on Rare Diseases for Latin America and the Caribbean in March 2023
In this month’s issue of our newsletter, we would like to spotlight the individuals who are the driving force behind our ongoing initiatives aimed at improving healthcare across the Americas.
MEET OUR PRESIDENT: DICK SALVATIERRA
Dick Salvatierra is an experienced senior executive with a successful track record in the non-profit sector. He brings extensive management and marketing expertise, having led initiatives in federal government contracting, information dissemination, customer support services, and internet startups. Dick is known for developing strong interpersonal relationships and effective board relations across various organizations, both private and public. His specialties include business development, strategic planning, and driving marketing initiatives. With international experience spanning Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, and Egypt, and fluency in Spanish, Dick is well-positioned to guide AHF in achieving its mission of improving healthcare across the Americas. As the President of AHF, he leads our efforts and ensures we remain focused on our mission to improve healthcare across the Americas.
THE 2ND CONGRESS ON RARE DISEASES IN LATIN AMERICA: MEET THE TEAM BEHIND IT
Led by AHF and co-hosted by ERCAL, FECOER, and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, our upcoming congress is a hybrid event designed to delve deeper into the challenges and opportunities related to rare diseases in the region, addressing critical issues such as access to treatments, regulations, infrastructure, and public policies. The conference will focus on proposing viable and actionable solutions that benefit patients, their families, health systems, and society in general.
As we approach this event, taking place in Bogotá, Colombia, October 16–17, we invite you to meet the AHF team working behind it:
Dr. Mariana Rico, Vice President & Regional Medical Director at AHF
Mariana Rico, MD is a physician with a public health background dedicated to ensuring equitable access to healthcare. She has extensive experience in public health policy, particularly in addressing healthcare access barriers and advocating for solutions across various fields like oncology, rare diseases, and women’s health. She also has expertise in market access strategies for health technologies in Latin America, healthcare delivery models, and identifying deficiencies in health institutions. In her commitment to improving healthcare across the Americas, Rico is actively involved in the medical direction of our upcoming congress, contributing to agenda development, fundraising, and more.
Felicitas Colombo, Public Affairs Director at AHF
Felicitas, MPA is the Director of Government and Public Affairs at AHF. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in regulatory and policy analysis, strategic communications, and stakeholder engagement, aiming to advance health policies across the Americas. In her role, she leads engagement with partner organizations and key opinion leaders for the upcoming congress.
Thais Vidal, Director of Marketing Communications at AHF
Multilingual, Thais Vidal holds a degree in English linguistics and literature. At AHF, Thais leads all marketing communications and plays a key role in the development of project concepts for the foundation. With extensive background in education and writing, Thais has been instrumental in planning the social media strategy for the upcoming congress. Additionally, she contributes to the ongoing fundraising efforts for this initiative.
Sophia Harb, Project Coordinator at AHF
Sophia Harb holds a law degree and is passionate about transforming healthcare in Latin America. She plays a key role in managing communications with partner patient group organizations and is leading the coordination of several critical aspects of the upcoming congress.
Marcela Santos, Project Manager at AHF
Marcela Santos is a psychologist with over 10 years of experience in creating and managing successful strategic alliances across the public and private sectors. She has a proven track record of developing and strengthening corporate relationships to drive growth and success. A dedicated advocate for the inclusion and rights of people with disabilities, Marcela has been actively involved in fundraising and various organizational aspects of the upcoming congress.
Cínthia Galvão, Associate at AHF
Passionate about languages and communication, Cínthia holds a degree in Translation Studies. At AHF, she plays a crucial role in administrative and operational tasks, ensuring the smooth functioning of our foundation. Cínthia has also been instrumental in coordinating administrative aspects for the upcoming congress.
Sarah Marie Walker, Accounting
Sarah Marie Walker brings extensive experience and expertise in accounting. In her current role, Sarah is responsible for overseeing all financial operations. Her commitment to maintaining high standards of financial integrity and her proactive approach to problem-solving make Sarah an essential part of the accounting team.
VACCINES BEAT: MEET THE TEAM BEHIND IT
Launched in July, led by AHF, Vaccines Beat is a monthly global newsletter created by vaccine professionals with timely, relevant, accessible, and well-curated information regarding all vaccine preventable diseases. Meet the team behind it:
Editor-in-Chief:
Javier Casellas, M.D., Ph.D. is an accomplished pediatrician and infectious diseases specialist from Argentina with over 20 years of experience in medical affairs and clinical research, particularly in vaccine research. He has held leadership roles at GSK and Novartis and is currently the Global Medical Director at IQVIA, focusing on vaccine and infectious diseases trials.
Editor-in-Chief:
Enrique Chacon-Cruz, M.D., MSc is a Mexican pediatrician and infectious diseases specialist with extensive experience in vaccinology. He is the CEO and Founder of “Think Vaccines” and has published over 140 research items. He has held significant roles in Mexico’s public health efforts, including eliminating measles and rubella.
Managing Editor
Felicitas Colombo, MPA is the Director of Government and Public Affairs at AHF. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in regulatory and policy analysis, strategic communications, and stakeholder engagement, aiming to advance health policies across the Americas.
Fundraising
Richard Salvatierra is the President at AHF and was introduced to you earlier in this issue. With his expertise, he plays a key role in fundraising for this initiative.
CORPORATE AHF LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE: MEET THE LEADERS BEHIND IT
Offering enhanced visibility for your organization among Latin American policymakers and influencers, a membership in the AHF Leadership Alliance includes benefits such as networking opportunities, stakeholder engagement, live and virtual meetings, exposure on social media platforms, authorship opportunities for select publications, and more, all accessible through an annual membership fee.
We invite you to meet the leaders spearheading this initiative:
Joff Masukawa: a Board Member and Leadership Alliance Leader at AHF, Masukawa is an executive with extensive experience in developing and leading strategies for the commercialization and access to rare, orphan, and specialty drugs, as well as cell and gene therapies. He is driven by a commitment to overcoming access challenges for patients and families. Before founding Diligentia, he served as Vice President and Global Head of Government Relations and Public Affairs at Shire, where he built the company’s brand and engagement with key stakeholders. Masukawa has held senior leadership roles across commercial and corporate functions, focusing on commercial strategy, market access, and patient advocacy.
Andrew Rudman: Senior International Advisor and Leadership Alliance Leader at AHF, Rudman has over two decades of experience advising companies and industry associations on government relations and market access strategies in Latin America, Canada, and Russia. Currently a senior associate at CSIS in Latin America, Andrew has also supported activities at the Wilson Center. He specializes in developing and executing trade and foreign policy initiatives to enhance market access and boost sales, particularly in the healthcare industry. A former U.S. Foreign Service Officer and Office Director at the Department of Commerce, he also spent seven years representing an industry trade association before joining a boutique government relations firm.
THE AHF NETWORK
The AHF Network is supported by the AHF team and a network of over 450 experts across various fields, including oncology, rare diseases, public health, inflammation, infectiology, cardiology, neurology, and women’s health. These experts have carried out over 100 projects under the AHF umbrella. Additionally, the AHF network includes 21 international advisors and 9 board members, who provide critical expertise and guidance.
MEET THE AHF TEAM, BOARD, AND ADVISORS HERE
MEET OUR 450+ EXPERTS HERE
As usual, stay tuned for more information regarding our activities.
