Our “One Gavi” mindset can help us meet three urgent goals

One month since being appointed to the role, Gavi’s Chief Executive Officer sets out how a change in mindset can help deliver on the organisation’s three immediate goals.

5 September 2023
3 min read
by David Marlow
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<article> <h1> <span>Our “One Gavi” mindset can help us meet three urgent goals</span> </h1> <div><p>One month since being appointed to the role, Gavi’s Chief Executive Officer sets out how a change in mindset can help deliver on the organisation’s three immediate goals.</p> </div> <ul> <li> <b>5 September 2023</b> </li> <li> <b class="me-2">by</b> <span> <a href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/authors/david-marlow" hreflang="en">David Marlow</a> </span> </li> </ul> <figure> <img src="https://www.gavi.org/sites/default/files/vaccineswork/2023/Header/RS43635_AZ_PAK_GAVI_Polio_028_h1.jpg" width="1080" height="720" alt="Young boys and girls proudly showing finger marking after getting vaccination against Polio, during the door-to-door polio campaign during the Ramzan in Rasheed Garhi, Peshawar city, Pakistan. Credit: Gavi/2023/Asad Zaidi" loading="lazy"> <figcaption>Young boys and girls proudly showing finger marking after getting vaccination against Polio, during the door-to-door polio campaign during the Ramzan in Rasheed Garhi, Peshawar city, Pakistan. Credit: Gavi/2023/Asad Zaidi</figcaption> </figure> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/delivering-alliances-mission-thoughts-ceo-interim">Last month</a>, I assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer (ad int.) of Gavi, and I stated my three principal goals: deliver on our current mission, develop an ambitious strategy for our next five-year period and get us on track for a successful replenishment to ensure that we are properly resourced for the years ahead. To meet these commitments, together with the senior leadership team, we have lost no time in putting measures in place that will positively impact the way Gavi works.</p> <blockquote> <h2>Gavi has achieved huge programmatic impact in recent years, and we want to future-proof our ongoing success by ensuring that we are all working together with a “One Gavi” mindset.</h2> </blockquote> <p>Gavi's senior leadership team is operating with a clear vision and purpose under a new, integrated structure designed to mobilise all staff to deliver our three principal goals. A critical element of this new approach is to empower Gavi's programmatic teams to make decisions and find solutions that respond to our implementing countries' challenges and needs. Our "Gavi 6.0" strategy for 2026-2030 will be developed in close cooperation with our implementing countries, core Alliance Partners, and other key stakeholders, with the required senior leadership dedicated to the task.</p> <p>With an integrated leadership team in place, work has started on putting organisational improvements in place throughout our programmatic teams and strategic business functions. I have talked before about our programme of Operational Excellence, which will see us innovating, improving and integrating structures and processes to help us deliver to countries better, faster and more effectively.</p> <div> <h4>Have you read?</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/delivering-alliances-mission-thoughts-ceo-interim" title="Delivering on the Alliance Mission: Thoughts from the CEO (Interim)">Delivering on the Alliance Mission: Thoughts from the CEO (Interim)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/why-reaching-children-who-get-no-vaccines-all-will-be-key-reaching-global-goals" title="Why reaching zero-dose children will be the key to reaching the global goals">Why reaching zero-dose children will be the key to reaching the global goals</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/community-health-workers-vaccinators-pathway-achieving-global-immunisation-goals" title="Community health workers as vaccinators: A pathway to achieving global immunisation goals">Community health workers as vaccinators: A pathway to achieving global immunisation goals</a></li> </ul> </div> <p>Ensuring we have a fit-for-purpose and evolved culture that will enable our new and ambitious plans is a top priority for Gavi's leadership team. The values, behaviours and beliefs that shape the way colleagues work together are a huge determinant of an organisation's success and wellbeing. Gavi has achieved huge programmatic impact in recent years, and we want to future-proof our ongoing success by ensuring that we are all working together with a "One Gavi" mindset.</p> <p>Our newly launched culture journey involves all our staff, including our Consultants and Interns. We believe everyone's voice matters and everyone will be invited to participate in designing the culture that will enable our success. Colleagues have already responded to a culture survey which will give us vital insights into understanding our current ways of working.</p> <p>Furthermore, it's critical that we listen to our implementing core Alliance partners' constructive feedback of what we can do better together for greater impact as an Alliance.</p> <p>My role as Gavi's leader will be to ensure that, from the wealth of knowledge we have within the Gavi Secretariat and across the Alliance, together with the leadership team, we define and build together an effective, collaborative culture that not only supports our end objectives but allows us to meet them in accordance <a href="https://www.gavi.org/work-with-us/culture#:~:text=Values,centre%20of%20everything%20we%20do.">with our values</a>.</p> <p>I continue to be incredibly humbled by this opportunity, the confidence of the Gavi Board and the support I have from the leadership team. We have a solid foundation to build upon and I am optimistic and positive about what we will achieve together to optimise Gavi's future.</p> <p>With an integrated leadership team in place, supported by engaged and motivated teams, I truly believe we are superbly placed to deliver on Gavi’s mission: exceeding expectations when it comes to impact and paving the way to protect our next billion children against deadly disease.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/our-one-gavi-mindset-can-help-us-meet-three-urgent-goals">Original article</a> </p><p>This article was originally published on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork">VaccinesWork</a> </p><script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-M7H54VD');</script><noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M7H54VD" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript></article>

Young boys and girls proudly showing finger marking after getting vaccination against Polio, during the door-to-door polio campaign during the Ramzan in Rasheed Garhi, Peshawar city, Pakistan. Credit: Gavi/2023/Asad Zaidi

Last month, I assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer (ad int.) of Gavi, and I stated my three principal goals: deliver on our current mission, develop an ambitious strategy for our next five-year period and get us on track for a successful replenishment to ensure that we are properly resourced for the years ahead. To meet these commitments, together with the senior leadership team, we have lost no time in putting measures in place that will positively impact the way Gavi works.

Gavi has achieved huge programmatic impact in recent years, and we want to future-proof our ongoing success by ensuring that we are all working together with a “One Gavi” mindset.

Gavi's senior leadership team is operating with a clear vision and purpose under a new, integrated structure designed to mobilise all staff to deliver our three principal goals. A critical element of this new approach is to empower Gavi's programmatic teams to make decisions and find solutions that respond to our implementing countries' challenges and needs. Our "Gavi 6.0" strategy for 2026-2030 will be developed in close cooperation with our implementing countries, core Alliance Partners, and other key stakeholders, with the required senior leadership dedicated to the task.

With an integrated leadership team in place, work has started on putting organisational improvements in place throughout our programmatic teams and strategic business functions. I have talked before about our programme of Operational Excellence, which will see us innovating, improving and integrating structures and processes to help us deliver to countries better, faster and more effectively.

Have you read?

Ensuring we have a fit-for-purpose and evolved culture that will enable our new and ambitious plans is a top priority for Gavi's leadership team. The values, behaviours and beliefs that shape the way colleagues work together are a huge determinant of an organisation's success and wellbeing. Gavi has achieved huge programmatic impact in recent years, and we want to future-proof our ongoing success by ensuring that we are all working together with a "One Gavi" mindset.

Our newly launched culture journey involves all our staff, including our Consultants and Interns. We believe everyone's voice matters and everyone will be invited to participate in designing the culture that will enable our success. Colleagues have already responded to a culture survey which will give us vital insights into understanding our current ways of working.

Furthermore, it's critical that we listen to our implementing core Alliance partners' constructive feedback of what we can do better together for greater impact as an Alliance.

My role as Gavi's leader will be to ensure that, from the wealth of knowledge we have within the Gavi Secretariat and across the Alliance, together with the leadership team, we define and build together an effective, collaborative culture that not only supports our end objectives but allows us to meet them in accordance with our values.

I continue to be incredibly humbled by this opportunity, the confidence of the Gavi Board and the support I have from the leadership team. We have a solid foundation to build upon and I am optimistic and positive about what we will achieve together to optimise Gavi's future.

With an integrated leadership team in place, supported by engaged and motivated teams, I truly believe we are superbly placed to deliver on Gavi’s mission: exceeding expectations when it comes to impact and paving the way to protect our next billion children against deadly disease.