Giancarlo Francese, PhD

Senior Program Officer at Gates Foundation

Speaker

Giancarlo Francese is a Senior Program Officer on the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) team within Integrated Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. With a PhD in Chemistry and a career spanning multiple continents, Giancarlo brings a unique blend of scientific rigor, operational insight, and global perspective to his work in advancing access to essential medicines.

At the Gates Foundation, Giancarlo leads a portfolio of projects focused on innovative women and global health technologies and pharmaceutical manufacturing in low- and middle-income countries. Giancarlo has been focused on shaping initiatives that promote the affordability and accessibility of essential medicines. His work spans sterile formulations for subcutaneous administration, cost-effective primary packaging solutions, and the development of sustainable supply chains for vaccines and biologics.

Before joining the Foundation, Giancarlo held leadership roles at Novartis and Teva Pharmaceuticals, where he contributed to the development and commercialization of innovative pharmaceutical products. At Novartis, he was involved in the cutting-edge development of new therapies, gaining deep experience in product lifecycle management and global manufacturing operations. At Teva, he played a pivotal role in sustainability-linked financing initiatives, including the structuring of bonds tied to environmental and social performance indicators—an experience that continues to inform his work on impact-driven investment strategies.

Giancarlo’s international career has taken him across Switzerland, China, Israel, Dubai, and the United States, and he has collaborated closely with partners in UK, Germany, China, India, and Morocco. These experiences have shaped his “cultural intelligence” and ability to lead cross-border initiatives with empathy and effectiveness.