The Fred Hollows Foundation USA, today announced the appointment of two new board members as the organization prepares to deliver bold solutions and continued impact under its next strategic plan.
Aegis Ventures’ Zachary Tan, MD, and Emma Hollows, international environmental lawyer and eye health advocate, will join the fast-growing US board of The Foundation.
"As we celebrate thirty years of restoring sight, we are focused on The Foundation’s continued impact over the next three decades," said Andrea Sanseverino Galan, Chief Growth Officer of The Fred Hollows Foundation USA.
"We are thrilled to welcome Emma Hollows and Zachary Tan, MD, to our Board of Directors. Their expertise and leadership will be instrumental in propelling our vision to end avoidable blindness and transforming lives and livelihoods by restoring the gift of sight.”
Emma Hollows brings a wealth of experience and a deep personal connection to The Fred Hollows Foundation USA. As the daughter of founders
Fred and
Gabi Hollows, she has witnessed The Foundation's evolution from its inception around the family dining table to becoming one of the most highly regarded global health organizations. Emma has been a member of The Fred Hollows Foundation U.S. Advisory Council since 2019 and Chair since 2021. With her background as an environmental lawyer, she brings a unique perspective to the board, combining her passion for sustainable, inclusive solutions with a commitment to global health.
Zachary Tan, MD, is a physician and General Partner at
Aegis Ventures, specializing in building new health technology companies that transform healthcare delivery. With a focus on leveraging AI and innovative technologies, Zachary has led the development of Optain, a groundbreaking initiative that uses the eye as a window to the body for early disease detection and improved visual outcomes. His extensive research background, including work at the
Centre for Eye Research Australia, has resulted in over thirty publications in public health and healthcare AI. Zachary's recognition as a Forbes 30 Under 30 for Healthcare & Science underscores his dedication to driving innovation in healthcare.
The announcement of the additional US board members comes on the heels of The Foundation’s new
Five-Year Strategy (2024-2028). The plan represents a significant step for The Foundation as it works towards comprehensive change at global, national and system-levels.
The number of people living with severe vision impairment and blindness is predicted to double by 2050, to an estimated 1.7 billion people and more than 55% of these are girls and women.
The overall need is increasing faster than the best efforts of the eye health sector, placing wide ranging social and economic impact on individuals, households, communities and health systems. Building sustainable system solutions to meet eye care needs of individuals will create greater impact than concentrating only on immediate services delivery such as eye surgeries.
During the next five years, The Foundation will:
- Strengthen integrated people-centered eye care to protect and restore sight to those most in need;
- Advance transformative solutions that address key eye health challenges; and
- Elevate eye health as a social, economic and development issue to unlock further government resourcing.