
CEO / Executive Committee
Ana Céspedes
Before joining Vitamin Angels, Ana served as Chief Operating Officer at IAVI (formerly, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative), where she provided strategic oversight and played a key role in global expansion efforts beyond HIV vaccines to include Tuberculosis and other emerging infectious diseases. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded marketing, strategy, pricing, market access, communications, and corporate affairs at pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and strategic consulting organizations including Lilly, Arthur Andersen, Serono Iberia, and Merck KGaA. Since 2023, she has also served as an independent board member of argenx, a global biotechnology company listed on Nasdaq and Euronext.
Ana holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy, Magna Cum Laude, from the University Complutense of Madrid, along with advanced degrees and certifications from the London School of Economics, IESE, MIT, and GAP International. She is also a Certified Corporate Director by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).
Passionate about people, health promotion, leadership and empowerment, Ana is an advocate for women in science and health. She serves as a Board Member of the IESE Healthcare Chapter, a Scientific Council Member at the Propatiens Institute, and an ambassador for the #LasMujeresnosMovemos initiative. She is also the founder of Living Mindfulness, a platform dedicated to helping individuals unlock their full potential, and a founding member of Spanish Women Leaders in Life Sciences, a global network of female leaders committed to shaping the future of health sciences.
Ana’s contributions to global health and leadership have earned her numerous awards, including the Abilio Rodriguez Award for Academic Excellence, the Extraordinary Doctorate Award, the Women Leaders Award, and the Gold Medal of Castilla-La Mancha. In 2024, her hometown of Barrax, Spain, honored her legacy in health education by naming a public square in her name.
As CEO of Vitamin Angels, Ana brings visionary leadership, deep expertise, and a relentless commitment to health equity. She is dedicated to advancing Vitamin Angels’ mission of improving maternal and child nutrition worldwide.