NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, September 16, 2013

You know that sinking, cold feeling you get when you know something is bad, but when you really begin investigating, it turns out that the situation is much worse than you even anticipated?

Now what if that problem is the safety of health care workers and the integrity of blood samples collected to diagnose and treat health issues like HIV/AIDS? Renuka Gadde traveled to medical facilities around the world to prove her theory that blood collection techniques and protocols were a weak point in health care systems. What she observed was even more alarming than she expected.

But this global health leader did not walk away. Instead, she took on the challenge, worked to develop multi-dimensional solutions and ultimately implemented change that has had tangible, positive results on the health of countless people.

“Those of us who have the privilege of working in a health care environment are driven by helping people,” says Gadde, currently serving as the vice president, global health for BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company.

Gadde moved from India to Singapore in 1997 to work as the director of Asia Pacific for immunization within the BD medical division. She relocated to the United States in 2002 as the director, strategic planning and development. She has held a variety of roles within the company, and in her current position she leads BD’s global health activities in emerging and developing countries. She manages external engagement with a variety of partners and integrates global health needs and efforts across business units.