Ruth Atherton – GC Powerlist
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United States Rising Stars 2014

Ruth Atherton

Associate general counsel | The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

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United States Rising Stars 2014

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Ruth Atherton

Associate general counsel | The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

About

‘An amazing hard worker’ who ‘keeps an eye on the big picture’, Ruth Atherton is valued not only for her highly technical skill-set but for her energy and commitment to The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s cause. ‘The leadership team is just phenomenal,’ she says. ‘Everyone truly cares about the mission of the foundation’. Atherton’s drive and passion to make a difference were already manifested when she founded her own charity, Raising the Blues, in 2008. The organization promotes music therapy for children with physical, emotional and educational challenges. A former scientist, Atherton handled patent litigation in private practice before moving in-house to biotechnology company Genzyme, which develops treatment for rare genetic and life-threatening conditions. It was here Atherton developed her ‘unique’ focus on pharmaceutical manufacturing, which she took to the Foundation in 2012, to support its broadening efforts to promote ‘global access’ to medical treatment. Here Atherton focuses on the entire supply chain, ensuring products are affordable and accessible to their intended recipients. Inevitably, her work covers a variety of jurisdictions. ‘One of the challenges at the foundation is the tremendous number of venues – the foundation supports work in over 100 countries,’ Atherton explains. ‘We’re helping to mitigate risk and that’s more challenging when you’re taking a truly worldwide perspective’. The foundation, she adds, has become more sophisticated over the years, and she supports a wide variety of teams. ‘The foundation always thinks about how we can create the biggest impact with our funds. It’s a very collaborative environment and that’s intentional’.

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