Helene Gayle, the president and CEO of CARE USA, is a physician, humanitarian and an executive -- three worlds that combine to help her mission of improving lives.

In January, she was among leaders of the world's seven largest humanitarian and rights organizations urging the United Nations to assert influence to "alleviate the human suffering" in war-torn Syria.

In a statement issued in conjunction with that effort, Gayle said, "In our work with Syrians affected by the conflict, CARE sees the incredible toll the war is taking on women and girls in particular, depriving them of safety, education, health care, and—in some cases—their lives. We call on all parties to prioritize and permit unhindered access to address the needs of vulnerable women and girls, both inside and outside Syria. We must also do more to support host communities in neighboring countries to better cope with the influx of refugees."

Helping people is a lifetime mission for Dr. Gayle. Before taking the reins at CARE USA, she held "senior positions" with the Centers for Disease Control and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where she directed programs on HIV/AIDS and global health issues.

According to her biography, Dr. Gayle serves on many boards including those of the Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company, The Rockefeller Foundation, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the New America Foundation and the U.S. Department of State's Foreign Policy Board. She also is on the President's Commission on White House Fellowships, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has been named one of Forbes' "100 Most Powerful Women," and Foreign Policy magazine's "Top 100 Global Thinkers."

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