Friends of the Global Fund Europe welcomes 4 new Board members
Friends of the Global Fund Europe are thrilled to welcome four new members to their Board of Directors, whose expertise and experience will further strengthen the organization’s governance: Estelle Ceulemans, Svenja Schulze, Marina Sereni and Andrzej Ryś.
Laurent Vigier, chair of Friends of the Global Fund Europe, declared: “We are both delighted and honored to welcome these four new members, whose experience and commitment to global health, international solidarity and development, have been unwavering throughout their careers. There is no doubt that their expertise, dedicated to Friends Europe, will be a major asset in strengthening our thinking and strategies and in achieving our objectives, at a time when the landscape of international cooperation and global health is undergoing profound change. Welcome to all four of them!”
Estelle Ceulemans, Member of the European Parliament
After having held trade union responsibilities, Estelle Ceulemans has been a Member of the European Parliament for the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group since June 2024.
She serves as S&D Coordinator on Employment and Social Affairs and is also a member of the Committees on Public Health and on Environment.
She is also a member of the delegation to the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the delegation to the Africa–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
Alongside her trade union commitments, she has long been active in organizations working on social and environmental justice and international solidarity, notably as President of CNCD-11.11.11 and Solidarité Socialiste (SOLSOC), and as a member of the Federal Institute for Human Rights.
She said: “In the current geopolitical context, it is more urgent and important than ever to commit to and invest in global health and international solidarity.”
Svenja Schulze, Former Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development (2021-2025), member of the Bundestag
Svenja Schulze served as Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development from 2021 to 2025. Previously, she was Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (2018–2021) after a career in Germany’s largest State Northrhine-Westfalia, where she was – among other positions – Minister for Innovation, Science and Research.
As Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation Development, she championed global health with a focus on strengthening women’s rights in global cooperation.
In the current legislative period, she serves as a member of the Bundestag’s Budget Committee.
She said: « Global health is a matter of justice, security, and solidarity. The Global Fund saves millions of lives-but its success depends on political will and reliable financing. Through Friends of the Global Fund Europe, I am committed to ensuring that Europe takes responsibility and that no one dies from preventable diseases. »
Marina Sereni, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Italy
Marina Sereni is, since 2023, head of “Health and Healthcare” at the Democratic Party’s National Secretariat in Italy.
In 2021 and 2022, she served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the Draghi Government, with responsibility for Development Cooperation, after holding the same position from 2019 to 2021 in the Conte II Government.
From 2001 to 2022, she was a Member of the Chamber of Deputies. Leading the Umbria general election in 2013, she was elected Deputy Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies.
She also served as Foreign Affairs Director of the Democrats of the Left (DS) until 2005. That year, she became Organizational Director and helped establish the Democratic Party, where she is a member of the National Executive.
She said: “Health is not only a common good we must protect, it is also a crucial factor of security, justice and peace. In the current context of the crisis of multilateralism and the many tensions that threaten peace and human rights, it is essential to strengthen positive experiences of transnational collaboration and partnership such as the Global Fund. I am proud to be part of the Board of Friends of Global Fund Europe.”
Dr. Andrzej Ryś, medical doctor, former Deputy Minister of Health of Poland, and long-serving senior official of the European Commission
Dr. Andrzej Ryś is a medical doctor, former Deputy Minister of Health of Poland, and a long-serving senior official of the European Commission.
As Deputy Minister of Health of Poland, Dr. Andrzej Ryś led key health system reforms and EU accession alignment, and as a European Commission Director (2006–2022) he shaped major EU health policies, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cross-border healthcare, crisis response and digital health, including European Health Data Space.
His scientific mandate focused on public health, health systems, and innovation. He co-founded the first School of Public Health in Central and Eastern Europe, he was a chief medical officer in Krakow city and worked on technology transfer and life-science innovation at the Jagiellonian University. In 2023–2024, he was an EU Fellow at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, where he conducted research on health data, digital health, and AI in health.
He said: “I am happy to engage with Friends of Global Fund Europe and contribute with my knowledge and experiences from public health and health policy on local, national and European level. I strongly support the Global Fund’s mission to fight HIV, TB and malaria, strengthen health systems and address major global health challenges. »