Named as one of Fortune Magazine’s “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” in 2019, Ellen Agler is a renowned changemaker and public health leader who has worked in the global health and humanitarian response for over 25 years in more than 70 countries, for organizations including Operation Smile and International Medical Corps. She is the CEO of The END Fund, a private philanthropic initiative set-up to control and eliminate the five most commonly Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the world, affecting about 1.5 billion people. During her tenure at Operation Smile, Ellen managed international programs across 4 continents; worked on “health as a bridge to peace” initiatives bringing together Israeli and Palestinian surgeons; and organized medical programs in partnership with the government, civil society and guerilla groups in conflict zones in Colombia. She has also led international operations for International Medical Corps, with a focus on international disaster response and delivery of medical care in complex humanitarian emergencies in over 20 countries. Ellen serves on the board of The Legatum Institute, a London-based think tank that promotes policies that lift people from poverty to prosperity, and the World Economic Forum’s Global Health Security Advisory Board. She is also the co-author of Under the Big Tree: Extraordinary Stories from the Movement to End Neglected Tropical Diseases, through which she has managed to make these overwhelming and complex health problems understandable to everyone.
How do we live a life that is aligned with our highest values? What transformative power does the role of service hold in our lives? When we feel a deep concern for humanitarian issues, how can we move from inaction to action and make a meaningful, positive contribution towards building a healthier and happier society? And how can we mobilize resources, intelligence and support networks, not just for individual and organizational success, but for humanity’s success?
Find out from pioneering changemaker and public health leader, Ellen Agler, in conversation with Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa, on Intersections Podcast.
This episode offers key insights on: