Team

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Meet the people behind the World Health Summit. Our dedicated team works year-round to bring the global health community together and shape the future of health worldwide.

Meet the Team

Leadership

The leadership of the World Health Summit provides strategic guidance for the organization, advancing the platform's mission and long-term development. Working closely with all teams and its governance bodies, including the WHS Council and Board of Trustees, they shape the vision and direction of the World Health Summit, ensuring that its activities contribute to innovative solutions for key priorities in global health.

Together with the team, the leadership engages with high-level stakeholders from politics, science, the private sector, and civil society, strengthening partnerships, fostering international collaboration, and representing the World Health Summit in global health discussions.

Axel R. Pries

President

Carsten Schicker

CEO

Program

The Program Team creates a high-level and comprehensive main program for the annual World Health Summit that brings together cross-sectoral perspectives and reflects key priorities and emerging developments in global health.

Working in collaboration with partners worldwide, the team coordinates session planning and speaker engagement to ensure diverse representation across sectors and regions, while promoting gender balance and the inclusion of underrepresented voices. Throughout the conference, the team oversees program implementation and supports speakers and partners, contributing to an impactful Summit each year.

Julian Kickbusch

Senior Program Director

Luizza Jordan

Senior Program Manager

Antonia Laß

Program Manager

Tatjana Ganski

Program Manager

Carla Stegen

Program Manager

Strategic Engagement

The Strategic Engagement Team builds and manages the World Health Summit’s partnerships and stakeholder relations. It engages institutions and organizations from across sectors and regions to strengthen collaboration and support the platform’s activities throughout the year.

The team is responsible for the World Health Summit’s year-round dialogue formats, including the WHS Global Health Dialogues and side events at major global conferences. It also works closely with hosts of the WHS Regional Meetings to support their preparation and implementation, manages the WHS Academic Alliance and its activities, and coordinates research-related activities and initiatives. For the annual Summit in Berlin, the team organizes WHS Dialogues, side meetings, and engagement opportunities that foster exchange and collaboration, while supporting partners and stakeholders in their on-site engagement throughout the conference.

Frederike Sontag

Strategic Engagement Director

Linda Sebbas

Strategic Engagement Manager

Johanna Schulte

Strategic Engagement Manager

Marinus Fislage

Research Associate

Konstantin Barteleit

Student Assistant

Daniel Monedero Lopez

Student Assistant

Lena Forster

Student Assistant

Communications

The Communications Team shapes and manages the World Health Summit’s communication strategy. It develops key messages, strengthens the platform’s brand, positioning, and thought leadership, and ensures that WHS discussions, insights, and outcomes reach global audiences.

Through the WHS website, social media, and newsletter, the team plans and produces content across channels while also managing relationships with journalists and media partners. Working closely with colleagues across the organization, it leads event communication and strengthens the visibility of the World Health Summit and its activities throughout the year, and reinforcing its role as the leading platform for global health.

Anna Störmer

Communications Director

Marie Wolf

Senior Communications Manager

Nina Wildermuth

Communications Manager

Lucie Huber

Student Assistant

Matéo Lamiot

Communications Assistant

Operations

The Operations Team is responsible for the logistical planning and execution of the World Health Summit. Alongside the preparation and delivery of the annual Summit, the team supports the organization’s internal operations throughout the year, including office administration and the coordination of technical infrastructure.

For the annual summit in Berlin, the team oversees event logistics, venue coordination, technical production and visual setup, as well as participant services. Through its work, the Operations Team helps create a professional and high-quality experience for everyone attending the summit, both on site and online.

Lisa Hertel

Operations Director

Martin Liedtke

Senior Manager Events & Administration

Martin Köppen

Event Manager

Wim Stavginski

Operations Assistant

Finance & HR

The Finance & HR Team is responsible for the company’s financial management and internal human resources processes. It develops and oversees financial planning and reporting, contract management, and grant administration, ensuring sound financial stewardship and compliance with institutional requirements.

In addition, the team is responsible for human resources, including recruitment, onboarding, and employee administration. Through its work, the Finance & HR Team supports the organization’s staff and enables the effective financial and administrative functioning of the World Health Summit throughout the year.

Royko Kühn

Finance and HR Director

Roberta Saldutti

Finance Assistant

Rafael Kociumaka

HR & Finance Assistant

Leadership Office

The Leadership Office supports the President and CEO of the World Health Summit in advancing the organization's strategic priorities and ensuring their effective implementation. Operating at the intersection of strategy, external engagement and strategic planning, it translates priorities into coherent action and fosters alignment across the organization.

By serving as a central interface between leadership, teams, and external partners, the Leadership Office enables informed decision-making, ensures consistent communication and contributes to overall effectiveness of the World Health Summit’s leadership activities.