Interview with a Global Health Professional: Country Director

by Alanna Shaikh

category: Global Health Jobs

Published June 17, 2009 @ 02:01PM PT

1. What do you do?

Good question.  My son constantly asks me this too.  I am a project manager.  I make things happen. Not that I personally make things happen, I am far too lazy to be running around doing things. But I really like delegating, so I find really really good people who know how to achieve a particular objective and I make sure that they have all the resources that they need to get the job done. I also do other things like manage budgets, talk to project partners - and occasionally give speeches and cut ribbons.

2.  Where do you work? Is it a company, an NGO, part of a government, or something wlse?

I work for a company who is implementing a USAid project in Tajikistan.

3. How did you end up working in global health? Was it always what you wanted to do?

It was an absolute fluke. After I left school I entered the civil service as an accountant and worked behind a desk in the aviation sector for over 20 years.  I took a redundancy package in the early 90s and then traveled for a couple of years.  When I got back I decided that I wanted to work for myself and got a few small consultancies working with community groups.  I helped set up an aboriginal benevolent foundation, a women's trust, a network of women's legal centres and then with a couple of friends set up a cross cultural communications company. The company did well, but the friendship didn't, so after 5 years we sold the business and went our separate ways. A little while later I found myself working for a project management company desk managing some social sector projects. One day I was working behind a desk back, next I was flying out on what should have been a five day site visit to Central Asia - I have been here ever since managing are range of health projects with ADB, World Bank and now USAID.

4. What is your favorite thing about working in global health?

Right now, I have the best job in the world.  I work with some fantastic people and I get a huge amount of satisfaction watching a simple idea turn into something that really works and helps people lead healthier lives.  When all is said and done, I guess I get a buzz out of knowing that I am helping to make a difference.

5. What is your least favorite part?

Apart from writing report, next least favorite is standing by and watching other Donors' funds being wasted on programs that are poorly implemented or haven't got a hope of being sustainable.  And , of course, there is always the issue of "leakage" and corruption. It makes me angry to see it.