ADI is delighted to announce that Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell will join us as Chief Executive Officer on 1 October 2026. We warmly invite you to welcome Faith as she takes up her role and we begin an exciting new chapter for ADI and the global dementia community.
Faith joins ADI bringing more than 25 years of diverse experience and expertise in global health and international development, including leading global and regional movements advancing health, rights and care. These include, among others, Girls Not Brides, the Global Partnership to End Child Marriage; The Girl Generation, the Africa-Led Movement to End Female Genital Mutilation (FGM); and the African Palliative Care Association.
Across her career, Faith has led organisations, teams and partnerships in diverse countries and contexts, with a strong track record of developing global and regional strategies, shaping policy, mobilising resources and bringing together diverse stakeholders to drive meaningful and sustainable change. Her expertise spans health systems strengthening, palliative care, quality improvement, sexual and reproductive health, philanthropy, research and advocacy. At its heart, her work has been translating global commitments and policy into action, holding leaders and institutions accountable for their commitments, driving systemic change and working in partnership with vulnerable and underserved communities to advance the change they identify and seek. This experience brings valuable perspectives to ADI’s mission and its work to advance the rights, care and support of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, their families and carers.
Faith joins ADI at a pivotal moment for the global dementia movement. Advances in diagnosis, treatment, prevention and risk reduction are creating new opportunities and optimism, while innovation continues to outpace policy and practice. The extension of the WHO Global Action Plan on Dementia to 2031, alongside dementia’s inclusion in the UN Political Declaration on noncommunicable diseases and mental health, provides important momentum for global action.
On joining as ADI’s CEO, Faith has said:
I am deeply honoured to join ADI at such an important and hopeful moment for the global dementia community. There is real momentum for change, and our task now is to turn that momentum into action that transforms people’s lives. I look forward to working alongside ADI’s team, members and partners, and, most importantly, people living with dementia, their families, and carers.
I believe lasting change happens when we bring people together around a shared purpose. Together, we can build on the progress already made, be bold and ambitious about what is possible, and ensure that advances in diagnosis, care, treatment and prevention reach everyone, wherever they live. I look forward to listening, learning and leading alongside this extraordinary community as we shape the next chapter of the global dementia movement.
“I also want to acknowledge the recent passing of Mr Roy Burnham, father of the UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, who had been living with Alzheimer’s disease, and extend my deepest condolences to the Prime Minister and his family. His passing is a poignant reminder of the profound impact dementia has on individuals and families everywhere, and of the urgency of our shared mission. I look forward to working with ADI’s members, partners and allies around the world to turn commitment into action and accelerate much-needed change.
ADI Chair of the Board, Meera Pattabiraman also gave a welcome message to our incoming CEO:
It is with great pleasure that I welcome our new CEO, Dr. Faith Mwangi Powell, to the ADI. Faith will take up her role on 1 October, bringing with her more than 25 years of valuable experience in the not-for-profit sector. Faith is an accomplished and committed global leader whose outstanding work in palliative care in Africa and beyond has given her rich experience and insight to lead ADI as we build on our achievements and embrace the opportunities and challenges ahead.
I invite our member associations, stakeholders, partners, and everyone connected to our cause to join me in warmly welcoming Faith and offering her your full support.
Faith, I wish you every success and look forward to the enthusiasm, values, and leadership you will bring as we work together to fulfil ADI’s vision and mission.
Welcome to the ADI family!