R4D Announces Exciting New Changes to Its Health Leadership Team

January 26, 2018   |   United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Results for Development (R4D) today announced changes to its health leadership team, most notably with the promotion of Cheryl Cashin, Ph.D., from senior program director to managing director. A health economist, Dr. Cashin earned global recognition as a thought leader in the health financing space and has more than 20 years of experience designing and implementing health financing policy for health systems improvement.

In addition, R4D has welcomed Nathaniel Otoo as a senior fellow and Laurel Hatt, Ph.D., as a program director. R4D also promoted Cicely Thomas, from senior program officer to program director.

“At Results for Development, we believe our people are our most important asset and the reason for our success,” said Gina Lagomarsino, MBA, president and CEO of Results for Development. “I’m thrilled to announce some new roles and new faces on our health team in 2018. Cheryl, Cicely, Laurel and Nat bring a wealth of experience and expertise, and I’m excited to see where they take us over the coming years.”

R4D’s health team is led by Marty Makinen, Ph.D., executive vice president, with support from Kristi Maasjo, MBA, operations director. The health leadership team also includes: Chris Atim, Ph.D., senior program director; Nathan Blanchet, Ph.D., program director; Grace Chee, senior program director; Amanda Folsom, MPH, senior program director; and Allison Kelley, M.A., program director.

Cheryl Cashin
In addition to directly advising a number of country governments on health financing reforms, Dr. Cashin has been an influential technical leader for the Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage and has played a leadership role in the launch of several new initiatives, including a peer learning platform on immunization financing for countries transitioning from Gavi support, the African Collaborative for Health Financing Solutions and a new health Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Center, which R4D will launch in 2018.

Nathaniel Otoo
A lawyer by training, Nathaniel is former CEO of Ghana’s National Health Insurance Authority, which he helped to design and manage over the past decade. Based in Accra, Ghana, he will provide leadership for the Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Center, a new initiative to strengthen strategic purchasing capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.

Laurel Hatt
Laurel brings over 15 years of experience in health economics and finance, health systems strengthening, and evaluation research. Laurel will manage R4D’s involvement in the Primary Health Care Performance Initiative (PHCPI) and contribute to R4D’s strategic purchasing portfolio in Indonesia through the USAID-funded Health Finance and Governance project.

Cicely Thomas
Cicely, who has been with R4D since 2014, leads the private sector engagement and health benefits policy working groups within the Joint Learning Network’s Primary Health Care Initiative, and health system strengthening and sustainable health financing in Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria through USAID’s Maternal Child Survival Program (MSCP).

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About Results for Development

Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too. For more information, visit our website at: www.r4d.org.

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