Dr. Amy Pollack, MD, FACOG, FACPM will be the new director of maternal, newborn & child health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Pollack arrives at the foundation from the global medical technology and services company, Medtronic, where she served as its chief strategy officer and as vice president of corporate safety. During this time she also worked at Covidien, an international health care products company and manufacturer. With more than 25 years in the health sector, Pollack previously worked at Hologic, Novasys Medical, Merck, and Adiana. However, her longest time at any position was spent as president and CEO of EngenderHealth, an international nonprofit focused on bringing healthcare to the poorest communities of the world. She worked for over 15 years at the helm of EngenderHealth, coordinating and leading 23 international offices with projects in 40 countries. Previous to this, Pollack had only worked as an assistant professor at the University of Washington and as an associate medical director at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Her great achievements in college set her up for a successful career.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Florida (UF), Pollack stayed to also earn her doctor of medicine degree from the UF College of Medicine. She then made the move to the opposite corner of the country and did more postgrad work in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington as well as pursuing and obtaining a master of public health degree. With her leadership experience in the medical field as well as her impressive educational background, Pollack should be a perfect fit for the director position at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Amy brings deep experience in domestic and global health, strategy development, and in leading high-performing teams of technical experts,” stated Chris Elias, president, Global Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in a press release. “She will play a central role in the foundation’s efforts to save the lives of women, newborns, and children around the world.” Dr. Amy Pollack, MD, FACOG, FACPM assumes her new position on May 7, 2018.
