Who is Claire
Since a poster for a charity run for Ethiopia in first grade, I knew humanitarian principles are those that drive me in my work, life and mission. I was aged five or six when Ethiopia’s great famine was at its height. On one of the walls in our classroom, there was a poster of a charity run at our primary school. A poster with two little boys, distinctive round bellies, hand in hand, dusty background. I came home enthusiastically, “Mum, Dad, I gotta run, and you have to pay me. With this money, Ethy and Jopy can buy food, and hence they will not be hungry any longer.”
Fast-forward nearly 40 years, I know for years Ethy and Jopy had a different name, and they were living in Ethiopia by then. I became a seasoned humanitarian professional with nearly two decades of experience driving systemic change in aid delivery and global supply chains. My career spans Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and collaborations with NGOs and UN agencies across Europe, Asia, and Africa. My focus lies in leveraging data and technology to enhance efficiency, localize aid, and promote sustainable procurement—key strategies for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As the founder and CEO of Solvoz, I lead a social enterprise transforming procurement for impact-driven organizations through open-access tools and innovative solutions. This work earned recognition with the Best Innovation Award, in 2024 in the Hague, the Netherlands. Additionally, I co-founded initiatives like the Gender-Responsive Procurement Alliance, advancing equitable and sustainable supply chains, and co-lead NCDconnect, a platform improving access to affordable, quality NCD medication in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
Passionate about enabling system change, I frequently speak at global forums, including the World Economic Forum, The African Logistics Conference, and the European Congress on Global Health. Let’s connect to discuss impactful global supply chains, social enterprises, and innovative approaches to driving systemic change.
Currently, I’ve moved back to the Netherlands, raising two inquisitive young sons who constantly challenge me with their “why” questions—a reminder of the critical inquiries we must persistently pose in our sector and lives to drive meaningful innovation and systemic change.