This past year has been full of challenges and achievements at mothers2mothers (m2m) as we prioritised supporting our frontline staff and clients to stay safe and healthy in the face of not one, but two pandemics—COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS—while also growing our programme in both scale and scope. Helping steer us through these unprecedented times are the remarkable and dedicated individuals serving as independent Board of Directors/Trustees of mothers2mothers South Africa (m2mSA), mothers2mothers (U.K.) Limited (m2mUK), and mothers2mothers United States (m2mUS). We have been delighted to welcome quite a few new members over the past year who bring a wide range of new and/or deeper experiences and expertise to m2m.

Below are our newest board members who joined over the past year, listed alphabetically. For a full list of our Boards, please visit: https://m2m.org/who-we-are/our-team/#boards

Afua Basoah, DPhil – Vice President, Head of London, Rabin Martin (m2mUK)

Afua has more than 15 years of health consulting experience focused on designing strategies and developing partnerships to help clients strengthen their leadership position and value to stakeholders. Through the provision of strategic, scientific, and creative counsel and the unwavering passion for transforming insights into compelling health stories that inspire action, Afua has supported pharmaceutical clients engage multi-stakeholders and drive impact through corporate citizenship, medical affairs, and communications activities.  Before joining Rabin Martin, Afua held roles as Managing Director and European Business lead at ApotheCom and Client Service Lead at Ogilvy Healthworld, UK.. She is Rabin Martin’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) lead and a former Co-Chair of Omnicom’s disability Business Resource Group, OPEN DisAbility UK + Allies. Afua holds a DPhil in Neurosciences from the University of Oxford.

Dr. Lynette Ann Denny – Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cape Town (m2mSA)

A gynaecologic oncologist, Lyn has worked in the field of cervical cancer prevention in collaboration with colleagues from Columbia University in New York since 1995. The group evaluates alternative strategies for the prevention of cervical cancer in low-resource settings, which is the most common cancer diagnosed among women living in lower-income countries. Lyn has extensive research experience in cervical cancer prevention, including three cross-sectional studies comparing different screening tests. In addition to her position at the University of Cape Town (UCT), she serves as Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Groote Schuur Hospital and Director of the SA Medical Research Council Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre. She has authored, edited, and reviewed numerous scientific papers, and her work has been widely recognised by her peers, including the 2016 International Gynaecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) Global Humanitarian Award.

Dr. Samukeliso Dube – General Manager, Afrocentric Health (m2mSA)

Samukeliso (Samu) is a seasoned healthcare executive, entrepreneur, and certified physician leadership coach. She works in driving change in health systems across Africa, including technical programming for various disease areas, healthcare financing strategies, and the intersection of health and human rights for successful healthcare programming. Currently, she is a General Manager at Afrocentric Health, where she leads the organisation’s health policy and medical advisory function; a Founder and Director at Hugiano Health Group; a Founder and Certified Physician Development Coach at Lamp-Coaching Institute; and a Board Member at the Africa Women Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF). She holds multiple degrees from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, including a Degree in Medicine and Surgery (MD), a Master’s in Public Health (MPH), a Masters of Business Administration (MBA), and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Kerry Evans – General Manager, ELEMIS (m2mUK)

Hailing from South Africa, Kerry is a curious and experienced Brand General Manager, skilled at developing strategy with a proven delivery record in capability building to realise business goals. Before becoming General Manager of the quintessentially British skincare brand ELEMIS for the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland, she successfully led new market expansion for Jo Malone London into South Africa and launched Estee Lauder and Tom Ford Cosmetics into sub-Saharan Africa. She also initiated and executed significant organisational design and transformation programmes to drive MAC Cosmetics in the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland. Kerry is a strong advocate of ethical business and people upskilling. She worked most recently in the area of Diversity and Inclusion, Corporate Citizenship, and Sustainability for Estee Lauder Companies, UK and Republic of Ireland.

Peggy Grueninger – Head of Corporate Donations and Philanthropy, F. Hoffmann-La Roche (m2mSA)

For Peggy, philanthropy is more than a job—it is a responsibility. She encourages companies to give back to communities where they operate and live, and to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. She has driven impactful initiatives across Roche’s four main philanthropic areas: Humanitarian & Social, Science & Education, Community & Environment, and Arts & Culture. She has brought a particular focus to supporting education and health with local partners in South Africa, Kenya, India, and across Latin America. Previously, Peggy held senior positions in clinical trials management at Roche. She studied Leadership in Philanthropy at the Boston College Wallace E. Graduate School of Management, and is a member of the Swiss South Africa Chamber of Commerce and the Swiss Africa Business Circle.

Keith Kibirango – Director of Philanthropy and Private Sector Engagement, Crown Agents (m2mUK)

Keith has more than twenty years of social impact and fundraising experience, raising more than £30 million in donations for socially-focused causes across Africa, Europe, and internationally. He has held senior positions at leading U.K. charities, including Ark Schools, Tommy’s, and JUSTICE. Most recently, as Head of Africa Philanthropy at Save the Children U.K., he created a programme that directly connects with African donors—the first of its kind for an international charity. He is also the Founder of Abantu Impact Foundation, an African-led, Africa-focused social impact organisation focused on reducing poverty by investing in small- and medium-sized enterprises. Keith trained as a lawyer in both Uganda and the U.K., and earlier in his career provided legal aid at FIDA(U), Uganda’s largest legal aid clinic, and served as Director of the Uganda Law Society.

Musa Makhunga – Founding Managing Director, HR Matters Holdings (m2mSA)

Musa is a South African Businessman based in Durban. He was part of the initial Board in the early days of mothers2mothers.  He is the Founder of HR Matters (Pty) Ltd, a Strategic Human Resources Leadership Consultancy and HRMP Logistics (Pty) Ltd.,  which provides warehousing and distribution services operating out of Dube Tradeport, a special economic zone in the King Shaka International Airport precinct.  A true social entrepreneur, Musa has recently launched vOICe vision Africa, an innovative initiative that empowers blind people to see through sound.

Charles McGregor – Trustee, University of Cape Town Trust (m2mUK)

A South African residing in London, Charles was Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of Hospitality Europe BV from 1994 to 2006, when it sold to Blackstone. He is currently a Trustee of the University of Cape Town Trust, England, and the Bembridge Sailing Club having served the Club for 17 years, including a term as Rear Commodore (Finance). Previously, Charles served as a Governor of the Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Chair of the Hospital’s Patient Carer Advisory Group, and on the Hospital’s Integrated Governance and Risk Management Committee, retiring in 2018. In 2018, Charles was awarded the UCT Vice Chancellor’s Medal in recognition of his service to the University. In May 2021, he retired as a Trustee of Goodenough College, but remains on the Finance and Investment Committees.

Jolly Mokorosi – Financial Services Professional and Business Owner (m2mSA)

Jolly serves on the boards of various South African Retirement Funds and Trusts as an executive principal officer and trustee, and is actively involved in the education of retirement fund trustees and officials in Southern Africa. She is a member of the Association of Black Securities and Investment Professionals, as well as previously a member of the Institute of Directors Southern Africa and a Registered Person (equities). She is also an advisory committee member of the Southern Africa Pension Fund Investment Forum and the inaugural Deputy Chair of Batseta’s Asset Owner’s Forum. Outside of financial services, Jolly focuses on enterprise development, climate change, sustainability, and agriculture, and has received a community development award for her work and advocacy for economically vulnerable mothers and child-headed households.

Modupe Odusote – Visual Artist | Head of Human Resources, Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Health Technology (m2mUS)

Modupe is a visual artist and human capital expert with over 20 years in the field of strategic human resources. She served as the Global HR Director for Johnson & Johnson Global Public Health, where she partnered in setting up offices in South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya, and worked across sub-Saharan Africa in implementing the USAID-led public-private DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe) initiative and exploring the establishment of public-private global health partnerships in the areas of HIV, TB, and Mental Health. In Nigeria, she worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers as an HR strategy consultant, co-owned a management consulting practice, and co-led efforts around HIV/AIDS education and the fight against stigma at Standard Chartered Bank. As an artist, Modupe’s works reflect her vibrant heritage, and she aims for their authenticity to provide reflection and an appreciation of life and human connection.

Neena Patil – Chief Legal Officer and Senior Vice President, Corporate and Government Affairs, Jazz Pharmaceuticals (m2mUS)

Neena has over 20 years of experience in established and emerging biopharmaceutical companies with operations and footprints in dynamic markets worldwide. She has scaled, integrated, and navigated organisations through complex legal and business environments to fulfil their corporate purpose and realise their strategic goals. She currently serves as Chief Legal Officer and Senior Vice President, Corporate and Government Affairs, for Jazz Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company with worldwide operations headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, focused on developing and commercialising neuroscience and oncology products that address unmet medical needs. She oversees global legal, corporate communications, sustainability, patient advocacy, and legislative affairs functions. Before joining Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Neena held roles at Pfizer, Sanofi, and Novo Nordisk. A purpose-driven executive, Neena is a thought leader on topics encompassing legal and corporate strategy; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), culture; and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).