Who We Are

Michael Adler is the Emeritus Professor of Genitourinary Medicine/ sexually transmitted infections and HIV at the Royal Free Hospital and University College London. He has been an adviser to the British Government, the WHO, the UN and the EU. He was also Chairman of the National Aids Trust. He has served on the Board of Lepra and Care International UK.

Lord Nigel Crisp is an independent crossbench member of the House of Lords where he co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health. He works and writes extensively on global health. He also co-chairs Nursing Now, the global campaign on nursing. He was previously Chief Executive of the English NHS – the largest health organisation in the world with 1.3 million employees – where he led major reforms between 2000 and 2006. He was at the same time the Permanent Secretary of the UK Department of Health. He has written several books including “Turning the World Upside Down – the search for global health in the 21st century” and, edited with Francis Omaswa, “African Health Leaders – making change and claiming the future”. He has also chaired a number of reviews and commissions including, most recently, the Gulbenkian Commission on the Future of Health in Portugal and the Commission on the Provision of Acute Psychiatric Care for Adults. He is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, an Honorary Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Medicine. More information at nigelcrisp.com and @lordnigelcrisp

Healing Venezuela France was born from the initiative of a group of Venezuelan residents in Lyon, led by our ambassador Jany Lesseur. Since 2018 they have been operating as an association maintaining close links with Healing Venezuela in the UK organising various activities, including participation in regional festival with international NGOs, and sponsoring an international film festival. Jany is a seasoned professional in areas of organisation development and Climate Change.

Elena Palacios is a retired high-tech corporate leader with over 30 years of experience in global operations and technology, having held key roles at Lexmark, HP/Compaq, and Xerox. Equipped with dual master’s degrees in chemistry and business administration (MBA), Elena blends analytical expertise with strategic business insights to get results. Celebrated for her strategic acumen and leadership in driving digital transformation, she has been recognized with 15 prestigious awards. Elena has spearheaded initiatives across Latin America and Asia, streamlining operations and leading international teams. Now dedicated to supporting organizations that aid people in difficult situations, she leverages her expertise to enhance lives through improved processes and strategic innovation.

Ernesto is one of the most successful Venezuelan public figures. A marine biologist with a distinguished career in TV, films and theatre, he has made his name nationally and internationally by participating in programmes in Venezuela, the US, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and Colombia. Amongst his many roles, Ernesto has been a long-standing presenter at the Colombian TV musical contest programme Yo me llamo, (My Name Is) as well as a leading figure in the popular TV series Amor en Custodia, (Love Under Custody). He is now one of the main characters in the hit Netflix series Palpito II (The Marked Heart), which launched on April 23. With a great career ahead of him, Ernesto has agreed to become our Good Will Ambassador. He will help us spread our message around the world, and we are thrilled to have him!