Mr. Suzman, when Bill and Melinda Gates announced their divorce in May, they only said that their role in the United Foundation would not change. But now there is a provision that if Melinda or Bill no longer consider the possibility of further cooperation, Melinda will abandon her position. Why did the initial situation change?
First, Bill and Melinda have repeatedly stated that they fully intend to serve as co-chairs and members of the board of directors for a long time. But of course, when the two co-chairs divorce, this is a basic step, which raises questions about what will happen in the future. This is why they agreed to this clause as part of the divorce agreement. We think it is important to be transparent about the existence of this clause now because we announced our leadership reform. With Warren Buffett stepping down from the board, we hope to expand the board, and we believe that new members should understand the clause. But again: I don’t want and expect it to be used.
You derive this optimism from your observations of how Bill and Melinda have worked together in the past few months?
Yes it is. Bill and Melinda have been closely involved in the work of the foundation for two months after their divorce. You have participated in many meetings together and made bigger decisions.For example, Melinda held a new initiative on gender equality in Paris in front of the French President last week Emmanuel Macron And other politicians, we plan to spend $2.1 billion in the next five years. The two have shown that they can cooperate constructively even after divorce.
How often have you seen Bill and Melinda Gates?
I often contact them. I want to say that in the two months after the divorce was announced, I had dozens of meetings with them, one-on-one, and both of them. I will regularly communicate via e-mail and other methods, such as the announcement we made last weekend.
6.30 am on weekdays
Why would Melinda instead of Bill leave when the collaboration is no longer valid?
This is part of their agreement, I don’t have any additional details, I can only pass on what I was told.
How many new members do you want to recruit for your supervisory agency?
We don’t know yet, we want to check it now. We want to look at the models of other foundations, although we have to take into account that our size is different from most organizations. Bill and Melinda, who are currently forming a board of directors, have a much deeper understanding of the matter than they normally would in such a committee. So we must consider our expectations of new members.
What does that mean?
We will look for people with experience in the field in which we are active. At a time when large foundations are increasingly being scrutinized, those who have a global reputation and can help us make our point of view-and as a matter of course -. We always strive to ensure that our role is to complement the government, not to replace it. I also expect that there will be a geographical mix in the organization, because most of our work is done abroad.
Will there be any changes in your role as CEO now?
I think my job is to implement guidelines from the board of directors. I lead the organization and have broad powers to approve our funds. As the public image and spokesperson of the foundation, I also have a representative role. For now, I think it will remain in this state.
Speaking of your role as a public figure, how did you pass the last two months after the divorce was announced?
Of course, this is a destructive event. If the co-chairs get divorced, changes need to be made. This has been a challenging year for our work on the coronavirus pandemic. On the surface, Bill and Melinda told me that they wanted to continue working at the foundation as before, so now my job is to reassure employees and external partners. This is indeed the case. And provide guidance on how to keep our foundation strong and stable. However, to some extent, all of these have a clarifying effect.
In what way?
For me, it emphasizes the importance and key role that the Gates Foundation plays and can play all over the world. We are pursuing our mission to provide healthy and productive lives for people all over the world, which makes me more responsible. We are an institution with a history of 21 years. We have many ongoing projects and many partners. My job is to make sure we focus on this, because that’s what really matters.
