Bio

Sarah Hillware Spannring is a global health and impact leader with over 15 years of experience guiding multi-country strategy, partnerships, and delivery across complex global health and mission-driven systems. Her work focuses on translating global priorities into executable strategies and country-level action in politically and resource-constrained environments.

She has operated at senior and director-level scope, with responsibility for country engagement, portfolio-level decisions, and high-stakes stakeholder relationships across governments, multilaterals, donors, and implementing partners. She has overseen large, multi-sector portfolios, including global funds and country programs totaling nearly US$3 billion across 39 countries.

Sarah has held senior and leadership roles with the World Bank, the World Health Organization, and Women in Global Health, and has worked across the UN system, international NGOs, and the private sector. Her experience spans global policy environments, organizational governance, and on-the-ground delivery — giving her a pragmatic perspective on how systems actually change.

In parallel, Sarah is a two-time founder and former Executive Director of Girls Health Ed, a global nonprofit advancing health and sexuality education for girls and young women. She later served as Board Chair, providing strategic and governance oversight during a period of growth and transition.

Sarah is recognized by Apolitical as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in her sector and has delivered two TEDx talks. She speaks and advises on leadership, gender, global health, and systems change, bringing a candid, experience-based lens to decision-making in complex environments.

She holds a degree in International Affairs and Global Public Health, as well as a Certificate in Behavioral Economics, Negotiation and Decision-Making from Harvard Business School. She is currently completing an Executive Master’s degree at the University of Oxford, focused on senior leadership and strategy in complex global systems.

Sarah is also the proud mother of a young son.