Leadership at the Intersection of Eye Health and Equity Takes Shape at Orbis International

Kathleen Sherwin steps in as President and CEO, bringing more than 25 years of experience across global health, gender equality, and humanitarian development.

National, India, February 5, 2026: As global health systems face widening inequities and rising demand for integrated care, Orbis International has appointed Kathleen Sherwin as its President and Chief Executive Officer. Sherwin brings over 25 years of leadership experience across the nonprofit and humanitarian sectors, with a career rooted in advancing health equity, gender equality, and sustainable development.
Sherwin assumes leadership at a time when eye health is increasingly recognised as a foundational component of public health systems. Orbis continues to expand its work to prevent avoidable blindness, restore sight, and strengthen eye care systems in regions where access remains limited.

John Slattery, Chair of the Board of Directors at Orbis International, said Sherwin’s long standing commitment to equity and access aligns strongly with the organisation’s mission to eradicate curable blindness worldwide. He added that her leadership is expected to guide Orbis through a period of growing global need for eye care and health system resilience.
In her role as President and CEO, Sherwin has emphasised that eye health must be viewed as more than a standalone medical issue. She said it plays a critical role in education outcomes, economic participation, and broader health system readiness, and should be fully integrated into global health and development priorities.

Before joining Orbis, Sherwin most recently served as Chief Strategy and Engagement Officer at Plan International, where she led global strategy, partnerships, fundraising, communications, and policy initiatives. Her work contributed to strengthening the organisation’s long term positioning while advancing children’s rights and gender equality worldwide.
Her leadership experience also includes senior roles at Women Deliver, where she served as Interim President and CEO, and at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Across these positions, Sherwin’s work has consistently focused on expanding access to healthcare and advancing the rights of women and girls.

With nearly 1.1 billion people worldwide living with vision loss, much of which is preventable with timely care, Orbis continues to focus on building local capacity by training doctors, nurses, and eye care professionals, while expanding access to essential eye health services.
In India, Orbis has been active since 1988, with a country office established in Delhi in 2000. Its work spans pediatric eye care, primary eye care, workforce development, and quality assurance, supporting stronger and more sustainable eye care systems across underserved communities.

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