VSI Board of Directors

Nap A. Hosang, MD, MPH, MBA, FRCOG

Chairman

Dr. Nap Hosang is a lecturer at the University of California (UC), Berkeley School of Public Health and Head of the Interdisciplinary and Professional Master of Public Health Programs. His teaching emphasizes leadership development and management training in public health education. Before joining the Berkeley faculty in 1989, Dr. Hosang was on the medical faculty in his home country of Jamaica at the University of the West Indies.

Dr. Hosang recently retired from his position as Assistant Physician-in-Chief at Kaiser Permanente, where he served as an obstetrician for 13 years. His clinical interests include perinatal outcomes, breastfeeding, uterine fibroids, and the management of maternal and child health services in developing countries. Dr. Hosang is also a founding member of the Bay Area International Health Interest Group, a multi-campus collaborative that promotes educational activities for students with interests in Global Health, and Impact Carbon, previously the Center for Entrepreneurship in International Health and Development (CEIHD), an organization working to improve health and the environment through clean energy products that reduce carbon emissions in less-developed communities.

Dr. Hosang received his medical degree from the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica, and his master of public health and master in business administration from UC Berkeley.

Kari Gothie, MBA

Treasurer

Kari Gothie is a financial executive with over 25 years experience in start-up operations, business analysis and business strategy in both public and private industry, including biotechnology and information technology (IT). She currently serves as a consulting Chief Financial Officer to start-up and rapidly growing organizations, assisting in all aspects of finance, human resources and administration. Previously, Kari served as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at FocusFrame, a specialized IT consulting firm where she managed the Finance and Human Resources for US-based operations as well as subsidiaries in Europe and Mexico. Kari has also worked independently as a Finance and Accounting Consultant, providing financial services to small companies in all aspects of business and financial start-up including strategic planning and legal compliance. In addition, she has extensive audit and tax experience working as a Certified Public Accountant in both a regional as well as Big 4 accounting practice.

Kari holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting from the University of Virginia and a master in business administration from the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business.

Pamela M. Norick

President and CEO, Venture Strategies Innovations

Friday E. Okonofua, MD, PhD

Professor Friday Okonofua teaches obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Benin in Benin City, Nigeria, and is a fellow of several international medical institutions including the International Health program at Harvard University and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. A leading advocate for maternal health in developing countries and recipient of more than 40 research grants, Professor Okonofua’s teaching, research and service delivery span over 25 years.

Professor Okonofua began his career at Obafemi Awolowo University where he served as Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and later Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. Years later, Professor Okonofua transferred to the University of Benin, where he has been Head of Department, Dean, Provost and member of the University’s Governing Council. From 2005-2009 Professor Okonofua served as the Executive Director of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and was Honorary Advisor on Health to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo from July 2006 to May 2007. Professor Okonofua is a global champion for women’s health, a discipline where he has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and serves as a technical consultant to international agencies including the World Health Organization. In 1995, he founded the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre (WHARC), one of Nigeria’s leading NGOs and a partner of VSI in our Nigeria program. 

Professor Okonofua received his medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, a doctoral degree in international health and population studies from Karolinska University, and a bachelor of science in health sciences from the then University of Ife. 

Joseph Speidel, MD, MPH

Dr. Joseph Speidel is a professor within the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Director for Communication, Development and External Relations at the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health at UCSF.

Previously, Dr. Speidel directed the population grants program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and served as chief of the Research Division and acting director of the Office of Population at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). An accomplished lecturer and published author on issues relating to family planning, contraception and population, he is a recipient of the Carl S. Schulz Award of the American Public Health Association for significant contributions to international population work and the Family Planning Visionary Award of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association. 

Dr. Speidel received his medical degree and master of public health from Harvard University, and completed his undergraduate studies in chemistry and physics at Harvard College.

Ruchi Varshneya, MBA

Ruchi Varshneya has over thirteen years experience in marketing research for health technologies and business analytics at global pharmaceutical companies including Procter & Gamble and Bristol-Myers Squibb. She is currently Director of Global Market Research and Competitive Intelligence at Abbott Laboratories in California. 

Ruchi completed her undergraduate studies in electrical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee, India, and holds a master in business administration from XLRI in Jamshedpur, India. In addition to her work at Abbott Laboratories, she is currently pursuing a master of public health at Johns Hopkins University.

VSI Board Chairman Nap Hosang at a project dissemination meeting in Mekele, Ethiopia (2011).
Photo credit: ©2011 Kora Image - VSI

Approved by the Board of Directors in July 2010, the enclosed resource sets outs VSI's vision and four year strategy to achieve its mission.

To review VSI's 2010-2013 Srategic Framework
click here.