FHI 360 is pleased to announce that Mr. Aron Betru and Dr. Jacqueline Mahal have joined its Board of Directors.
Mr. Betru is the Managing Director of the Center for Financial Markets at the Milken Institute, leading the institute’s Access to Capital and other strategic financing initiatives to enhance social impact in the United States and other countries.
Prior to the Milken Institute, Mr. Betru was the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Financing For Development, specializing in innovative financing solutions for international development. Mr. Betru pioneered new ways of leveraging guarantee-backed financing of public health commodities, mobilizing millions of dollars in commercial lending and trade financing for malaria and reproductive health. Mr. Betru’s extensive experience includes international development roles at the United Nations Foundation, TechnoServe and Dalberg Global Development Advisors. He also worked in finance at McKinsey & Company and Goldman Sachs. Mr. Betru has contributed to American Banker, Milken Review and Global Health and Diplomacy. He was elected to the FHI Foundation Board of Trustees in 2016 and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Calvert Impact Capital.
“With a challenging international developing landscape and the lofty Sustainable Development Goals ahead of us, we need organizations like FHI 360. It will be an honor to help FHI 360 and its partners to deliver on impact and make this world a better place,” said Mr. Betru.
FHI 360’s Chief Executive Officer Patrick Fine stated, “Aron Betru’s skill set, experience and deep commitment to deploying equitable access to capital is perfectly aligned with the work FHI 360 is doing. I expect Aron will bring great insight to our efforts to expand into social impact investing and develop new mechanisms to support social enterprises. He will be a tremendous asset to our board and to FHI 360.”
Dr. Jacqueline Mahal is a physician, certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine, who also holds a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business. She brings experience in global health and strategic management to FHI 360’s board and is skilled in leading teams, program design and implementation, training and education.
Dr. Mahal currently works as an Attending Physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, NY, where she oversees two public health grants to link at-risk patients to specialized HIV or opiate-use care. She also serves as an Assistant Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, teaching clinical skills and reasoning to medical students.
Prior to her work as a physician, Dr. Mahal worked in banking and as a strategy consultant, performing high-level market research and data synthesis.
“Dr. Mahal’s blend of medical expertise, strategy and business acumen are an ideal combination for strengthening the governance of a sophisticated, multinational social enterprise such as FHI 360. We are absolutely thrilled to have such a distinguished and experienced person join our board at a time when strategic adaptation to the changing conditions shaping human development programs is more important than ever,” said Mr. Fine.
“I have always been motivated to use my knowledge and experience to help improve the lives of others. I am delighted to bring this motivation to the FHI 360 Board, where I can apply my medical, business and strategic skills to help the organization meet its mission in these changing and challenging times,” said Dr. Mahal.
Mr. Fine continued, “Having Mr. Betru and Dr. Mahal serve on FHI 360’s Board of Directors will make us a stronger, smarter and more effective organization as we continue to grow, evolve and adapt. We are grateful for their willingness to serve and look forward to their contributions to the good governance of FHI 360.”
The two new board members replace Ms. Holly Wise and Ms. Helga Ying, who are stepping down after completing two four-year terms. “Ms. Wise served as the Chair of the Strategy and Social Performance Committee. Her experience promoting public-private partnerships and innovative programs with the U.S. Agency for International Development contributed critical insights and ideas that informed FHI 360’s work and strategies during her tenure on the board,” said Mr. Fine. “Ms. Ying’s role with AIDS 2020 and her extensive experience shaping public policy and promoting corporate social responsibility and engagement provided invaluable perspective as FHI 360 has adapted to a changing development landscape. Holly and Helga have been instrumental in helping FHI 360 grow and compete in an increasingly complex sector. We are honored to count them as colleagues and friends and view their contributions with appreciation and gratitude,” concluded Mr. Fine.
