The Aurum Institute Announces New Group CEO to Lead Next Phase of Growth
- Press Releases
JOHANNESBURG, 26 August 2024. The Aurum Institute, a leading Africa-based global health organisation today announced that Professor Dave Clark will succeed Professor Gavin Churchyard as Group CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Prof Churchyard, who founded Aurum and has led the organisation for 26 years, will retire at the end of 2024. Aurum is a leader in the prevention and treatment of HIV and tuberculosis (TB) and played an important role in Africa’s COVID response.
Prof Clark, who holds degrees in medicine (MBBCh), business administration (MBA), commerce (BCom) and health services management (DHSM), has been an integral part of Aurum's leadership since its founding. As the current Group chief operating officer, he brings comprehensive insight into the organisation's mission and operations and governance systems, all designed to generate evidence for policy and how it is translated into health care practice.
"I am honoured to lead Aurum into its next chapter," said Prof Clark. "Aurum's strength lies in our ability to be locally rooted and globally influential. We will build on this foundation to continuously improve global health, from our crucial work in TB and HIV to addressing the rise of non-communicable diseases, particularly in Africa, and strengthening global health security in advance of future pandemics."
Professor Clark has overseen the implementation of Aurum’s large body of work throughout Africa. He has played a pivotal leadership role in all of Aurum’s research and health programmes to date, most notably in the grants awarded under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the US Government’s premier programme to end the HIV epidemic. Aurum’s work under PEPFAR has seen over 850,000 lives saved through antiretroviral therapy over the past 20 years.
Referencing the impact of Aurum’s work, Prof Clark said, “It is incredible to see the health of an individual change because evidence has influenced policy at a national and global level. Aurum is uniquely positioned to drive such changes. We do the science and the clinical trials, use the evidence they generate to influence policy and then implement those policies in the trenches of global health delivery. And we do it with the most incredible staff and partners in the world.”
Dr Jerry Gule, chair of Aurum's board of directors, enthusiastically endorsed the appointment. "Prof Clark's selection by the Board was unanimous. It came after a rigorous process that considered nearly 200 candidates. His deep understanding of Aurum, coupled with his vision for the future, makes him the ideal leader to build on Prof Churchyard's remarkable legacy. The Board is committed to supporting Prof Clark in maintaining Aurum's strong African identity while expanding its global influence," shared Dr Gule.
Previously, Prof Clark worked as a medical doctor and later became the general manager of Anglogold Health Services, providing health care for 300,000 gold miners acutely vulnerable to HIV and TB. He joined Aurum in 2004 as deputy CEO and executive director of the board to operate on the cutting edge of HIV and TB research. He has played a pivotal role in its growth from a small research foundation with a staff of 30 to a major global health organisation with a staff of 3,000. His operational and governance leadership has enabled the organisation to manage large-scale, complex health programmes with the highest standards of accountability and impact.
Prof Churchyard, the outgoing CEO, expressed his support for the transition. “It has been an incredible journey leading Aurum for the past 26 years, and I'm proud of what we've accomplished. I am confident that under Dave Clark’s leadership, with his passion for our mission and strategic insights, Aurum will make ever greater contributions to our communities and to global health," lauded Churchyard.
Upon his retirement as Group CEO, Prof Churchyard will assume the position of president emeritus to provide support to Prof Clark, pursue his own programme of research and continue to be an ambassador for Aurum.
As Aurum prepares for this leadership transition, the organisation remains committed to its core mission of improving health outcomes in Africa and beyond,” Dr Gule said. “The challenges facing global health are changing, and under Prof Clark’s leadership, Aurum will also evolve to directly address the most pressing challenges, using the most innovative methods, to take success to scale.
Notes to editors
About The Aurum Institute:
The Aurum Institute is a proudly African organisation whose mission is to generate evidence for policy and translate policy into practice to positively impact the health of communities globally. We partner with governments, the private sector and civil society to design and deliver high-quality care and treatment to people in developing communities.
About Professor Dave Clark, MBBCh, BCom, MBA, CD(SA)
Dr Dave Clark is an expert in global health management from Johannesburg, South Africa. He is currently the Group chief operations officer of The Aurum Institute. He was part of executive and clinical management of hospitals and health services in the gold subsidiary of the Anglo-American group up until 2004 before moving to Aurum. As an executive director and board member of Aurum, Dr Clark is strongly involved in all aspects of the healthcare research and delivery, as well as oversees all business services and strategic management of the company. His activities include the implementation of business and information technology solutions for financial, human resource, and research data management to support the work of the scientific and clinical departments.
Dr Clark’s strengths include an analytical mind with an emphasis on lateral thinking as well as an ability to draw operational teams together and motivate them to implement projects that deliver results. He has a particular interest in systems design and implementation and the development of governance and executive leadership for NGO’s and small companies.
Dr Clark qualified in medicine at Wits University in Johannesburg. He holds a master's degree in business administration and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, as well as a diploma in health services management. Dave is also a Chartered Director (SA).
Dr Clark holds an adjunct professor appointment at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, and is an executive and non-executive board member of several companies.
About Professor Gavin Churchyard, MBBCh (WITS), FCP (SA), FRCP (Edin), MMed (Int Med), PhD (WITS)
Professor Gavin Churchyard is the founder and current Group chief executive officer of The Aurum Institute (NPC). He is a specialist physician (internal medicine) with a master’s degree in medicine and a doctorate degree in infectious diseases. He is a National Research Foundation A-rated scientist, an honorary professor at the University of Witwatersrand, School of Public Health, and an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt School of Medicine. He is the co-chair of the National Institutes of Health, Cross-Network TB vaccine Working Group, and the principal investigator on numerous TB vaccine and preventive treatment trials. He has published widely in the areas of TB and HIV treatment and prevention and contributed to international and national guidelines for TB.