Dr. Chris Elias, President of the Global Development Program, leads the foundation’s efforts in integrated and innovative delivery, finding creative new ways to ensure solutions and products get into the hands of people in developing countries who need them most. Focusing on areas with the potential for high-impact, sustainable solutions that can reach hundreds of millions of people, Dr. Elias oversees Global Development’s portfolio in Agriculture Development, Financial Services for the Poor, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene, Family Health, Vaccine Delivery and Special Initiatives.

Dr. Elias’s professional background is in health and medicine, most recently having served as the president and CEO of PATH, an international, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of people around the world by advancing technologies, strengthening systems, and encouraging healthy behaviors. Elias currently serves on various advisory boards, including the Nike Foundation and the Duke Global Health Institute.

Dr. Elias holds an MD from Creighton University, having completed postgraduate training in internal medicine at the University of California San Francisco, and an MPH from the University of Washington. He was a fellow in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Creighton University.