Dr. Solomon Zewdu is the Chief Executive Officer of the END fund. Prior to his position as CEO, Dr. Zewdu was the Senior Executive Resident for Strategy, Planning and programming at the Mastercard Foundation where he led the team in the strategic and programmatic shaping of the foundation’s health engagement portfolio. He managed relationships and related investments such as the Africa CDC Saving Lives and Livelihood program, the Institute Pasteur of Dakar (IPD) MADIBA vaccine manufacturing and biomedical workforce development project among many other global and continent agencies and implementing partners partnerships. Prior to joining the Mastercard Foundation in August of 2022, he spent seven years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) with his last assignment as Deputy Director in Africa. He led the continental team that shaped integrated, resilient and impactful health, nutrition, disease eradication and human capital development programs. During COVID-19 pandemic, given his background in emergency preparedness and disaster response while in the military, he coordinated the BMGF Pan Africa SARSCoV2 response and all the related investments for the African continent.
Throughout his career, he has worked side by side with the public and private sector, ministries of health, education and finance, regional governments, academia, philanthropy, donors and implementers. He has contributed to various health and human development policies and guidelines; as an active member of several working groups, scientific and programmatic advisory bodies, executive boards and strategy, policy and planning committees. Among many lifetime commitments, Dr. Zewdu has practiced medicine in the private and public sectors, managed sizeable US Government programs (PEPFAR) in Africa and Department of Defense (DoD) HIV/AIDS Prevention program (DHAPP) in Asia and the Pacific and has designed and made philanthropic and academic grants for and in partnership in global health spanning the full spectrum of human development and poverty alleviation. He is well published and currently serves on multiple boards as well as scientific and technical advisory groups. He also has an honorable military past with the completion of successful military career as a decorated Lieutenant Colonel and veteran of the US Air Force.
He enjoys the outdoors and sports and his biggest challenge remains agreeing on what football (soccer) premier league team to support while his wife, daughter and 2 sons all support different teams in one household.