Catharina Boehme — CEO

I currently serve as Officer in Charge of WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), leading WHO's health initiatives across one of the world's most populous, dynamic and diverse regions working closely with our Member States. Prior to this appointment, I served as Assistant Director General External Relations & Governance from May 2023, after 2.5 years as Chef de Cabinet. In that capacity, I led WHO's strategic and political engagement in partner relations, resource mobilization and governance, working with my team to create solutions for sustainable financing for health for all. My portfolio included providing support for the World Health Assembly and the WHO Executive Board, as well as engaging WHO in multisectoral partnerships for advancing Global Health with Civil Society, the Private Sector and Non-State Actors. For the past decade, I have been working on innovative public and private partnerships, including as CEO of FIND, the international alliance for diagnostics, where I witnessed the transformative power of partnership firsthand. I trained as an MD and remain passionate about women's health, advancing gender equity, and climate action for health - priorities I continue to champion in my regional leadership role.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Global Health Leader with extensive experience in public health and strategic partnerships.

Location: Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Experience: 21 yrs 3 mos

Skills

Resource Mobilization
Executive Leadership
Stakeholder Engagement
Development Of Strategy

Career Highlights

Led WHO's health initiatives in South-East Asia.
Transformed FIND into a global diagnostics leader.
Passionate advocate for women's health and climate action.

Work Experience

World Health Organization

Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Region (8 mos)

Assistant Director General External Relations & Governance (2 yrs 1 mo)

Cabinet Chief (2 yrs 4 mos)

World Economic Forum

Member, The Global Alliance for Women’s Health (1 yr 2 mos)

World Health Summit

Member Board of Trustees (1 yr 5 mos)

Council Member (5 yrs 1 mo)

The Global Fund

Board Member (2 yrs 2 mos)

Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND)

Chief Executive Officer (8 yrs 2 mos)

Head of TB Program (2 yrs)

Chief Medical Officer (10 yrs 2 mos)

Senior Medical Officer (4 yrs)

Mbeya Medical Research Program

TB/HIV Program Coordinator (1 yr)

LMU Munich, Dept of Infectious & Tropical Diseases

Senior House Officer (1 yr)

Education

Diploma of Executive Development at IMD

Diploma Public Health at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Doctor of Medicine - MD at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Catharina Boehme

CEO

Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland21 yrs 3 mos experience

Highly Stable

Key Highlights

Led WHO's health initiatives in South-East Asia.
Transformed FIND into a global diagnostics leader.
Passionate advocate for women's health and climate action.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Global Health Leader with extensive experience in public health and strategic partnerships.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Resource MobilizationExecutive LeadershipStakeholder EngagementDevelopment Of Strategy

Other Skills

Business AcumenBoard of DirectorsHealthcareHealth PolicyMarket AccessDecision-MakingEffective CommunicationInfectious DiseasesPolicyClinical ResearchMolecular DiagnosticsGlobal HealthNonprofitsInternational DevelopmentPublic Health

About

Experience

World health organization

3 roles

Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Region

Promoted

Jul 2025 – Present · 8 mos

Assistant Director General External Relations & Governance

May 2023 – Jun 2025 · 2 yrs 1 mo

As Assistant Director-General for External Relations, Partnerships & Governance at WHO, I lead resource mobilisation strategies, secure multi-billion-dollar funding, and drive high-level political engagement, including governance reforms and pandemic accord negotiations.
I also strengthen multistakeholder partnerships, ensure fiduciary oversight, and enhance grant performance, while overseeing WHO’s global communication and advocacy efforts.

Business AcumenResource MobilizationDevelopment of StrategyBoard of DirectorsExecutive LeadershipStakeholder Engagement+5

Cabinet Chief

Mar 2021 – Jul 2023 · 2 yrs 4 mos

As Chef de Cabinet at WHO, I led the planning and execution of high-priority health programmes, advised the Director-General on key policy issues, and coordinated cross-functional teams to ensure successful health initiatives.
I also managed organisational strategies, oversaw resource allocation, and drove partnerships, while advancing gender parity and ensuring compliance with recruitment targets.

Business AcumenDevelopment of StrategyBoard of DirectorsExecutive LeadershipStakeholder EngagementHealthcare+3

World economic forum

Member, The Global Alliance for Women’s Health

Jan 2025 – Present · 1 yr 2 mos

Executive LeadershipStakeholder EngagementEffective Communication

World health summit

2 roles

Member Board of Trustees

Oct 2024 – Present · 1 yr 5 mos

Executive Leadership

Council Member

Sep 2019 – Oct 2024 · 5 yrs 1 mo

Development of StrategyBoard of DirectorsExecutive LeadershipStakeholder EngagementHealth PolicyEffective Communication

The global fund

Board Member

May 2023 – Jul 2025 · 2 yrs 2 mos

Development of StrategyBoard of DirectorsExecutive LeadershipStakeholder EngagementHealth PolicyEffective Communication

Foundation for innovative new diagnostics (find)

4 roles

Chief Executive Officer

Promoted

Jan 2013 – Mar 2021 · 8 yrs 2 mos

Transformed FIND into a global diagnostics leader, expanding operations to 40+ countries and increasing disease focus areas from 3 to 13, while leading the global COVID-19 testing response and growing the R&D pipeline sixfold.
Managed a $65M budget, 200 staff, and 500+ contractors, driving innovation, securing financial growth, and achieving ISO 13485 certification in 2019.

Business AcumenResource MobilizationDevelopment of StrategyExecutive LeadershipStakeholder EngagementHealthcare+4

Head of TB Program

Jan 2012 – Jan 2014 · 2 yrs

Healthcare

Chief Medical Officer

Promoted

Jan 2011 – Mar 2021 · 10 yrs 2 mos

As Chief Medical Officer at FIND, I built and led the organisation’s first clinical trials unit, managing 30+ multicentre studies, including 8 Phase 3 and 4 trials, contributing to FDA, CE mark, and WHO policy changes.
I designed market entry strategies, drove adoption of diagnostic tools, and established FIND’s presence in India, Peru, and South Africa, securing long-term partnerships and aligning trial results with global health priorities to accelerate adoption.

Business AcumenDevelopment of StrategyExecutive LeadershipStakeholder EngagementHealthcareHealth Policy+2