Eric Stobbaerts

Established in Brazil, Eric joined DNDi to lead a global campaign on Chagas disease “Time to treat” in 2009. He became the Regional Executive Director for DNDi Latin America in January 2010 for six consecutive years. Under his leadership, the office expanded its influence in Latin America, contributing to widening effective partnerships in the field of neglected diseases and facilitating strong public engagement from key countries particularly in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Bolivia. This collective effort paved the way to new ways of engagement by contributing to countrywide and regional agenda for innovation in the field of science and health technologies.

Part of the global team, Eric is now based in London heading the DNDi international network of eight offices around the globe (Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, Cape Town, Kinshasa, Nairobi, Rio de Janeiro, and New York). Together with the offices leaders, he guides the international development with a strategic focus on fostering public and private collaborations in low- and middle-income countries and co-creating sustainable solutions for neglected patients around the globe.

For 20 years, Eric worked with Médecins Sans Frontières as Head of Mission in several crisis affecting for civilian populations in danger (Lebanon, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iraq, former Yugoslavia, Indonesia, Egypt, and the MENA region) and was part of MSF emergency response unit. In 1998, he took over the direction of MSF in Spain, one of five MSF Operational Centres, and led its successful development until 2004. He was part of the MSF international delegation to travel to Oslo for the Nobel Peace Prize (1999) that led to the creation of DNDi. From 2004 onwards, he consulted for the international office of MSF and several international NGOs in London. He led the set-up of new entities of MSF outside of Europe: particularly in Brazil and South Africa. He served on several Board of Directors of MSF and DNDi.

Brought up in a multi-cultural environment, Eric holds an MBA from the University of Geneva after completing studies in Economics and Public Affairs at the University of Louvain and in Public Health.