Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul

Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul is Vice-President of Friends of the Global Fund Europe. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM). Ms. Wieczorek-Zeul was Germany’s Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development and Governor of the World Bank from 1998 to 2009. She was also a member of the national parliament, the German Bundestag, from 1987 until 2013. Ms. Wieczorek-Zeul has been a vocal HIV/AIDS and women’s health advocate throughout her career, using her government positions to advance key research and policy agendas. Prior to her post as Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Ms. Wieczorek-Zeul was a member of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1987, where she was on the Committee on External Relations, focusing on foreign trade and European development policy. She was Vice-Chairperson of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1993 to 2005. Ms. Wieczorek-Zeul began her career as a teacher at the Friedrich Ebert School and subsequently served as Chairwoman of the European Coordination Bureau of International Youth Organizations from 1977 to 1979.