Thabani Maphosa is Gavi’s Managing Director of Country Programmes, overseeing Gavi’s operations in 73 countries. The Country Programmes Department’s raison d'être is to harness the power of the Vaccine Alliance for countries to save the maximum number of lives through immunization. This is achieved through maximizing financial investments (donor and domestic), bringing the best partners to the table and driving innovative solutions. The Country Programmes Department manages Gavi’s relationships with governments and provides grant management oversight for all in-country resources. Prior to joining Gavi, Thabani held several leadership roles in World Vision International for over 16 years. Thabani is a seasoned humanitarian who has led disaster preparedness and response efforts globally. He is also recognised for introducing the use of technology in the last mile and not least for scaling up cash transfers in stable and fragile contexts. With a Master of Philosophy degree in Science, Thabani has worked in academia as a lecturer in physiology and microbiology.