Marian Wentworth’s journey to leading Management Sciences for Health, the global health NGO that works in 36 countries, didn’t have a typical beginning.

Her degree? Mathematics. Her first job after college? Working consultant on operations management for Arthur D. Little, Inc. She followed that up with 27 years at the pharmaceutical giant, Merck. While there, she worked her way up from being a research analyst to leading marketing for the cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil, and ultimately serving as vice president for Merck’s global vaccines strategy.

One of the things that I see is that new money from donors isn't coming any time soon. Total investment in global health is plateauing and declining depending on what sources you're used to looking at. - Marian Wentworth

That's a mixed blessing. We really have to—as we're looking at global development ideas and initiatives—find ways to deliver value to more than just conventional donors. That might mean when you're talking about health care financing that you bring in private markets and the private sector in some way or another. You're learning how to monetize cash out of pocket, et cetera. In any event, I think we have to not only do the right thing but show value to those who are willing to pay for it in one way or another. For me, that's actually also a key to sustainability.

Read the full article by Brian W. Simpson about global health from Global Health NOW