Nicole Spieker is a healthcare leader with over 20 years of frontline experience in Africa, dedicated to building inclusive, high-quality health systems that serve the most vulnerable. Trained as a scientist, she has devoted her career to designing and scaling innovative models that transform healthcare delivery and financing across the continent. She is the Chief Executive Officer of PharmAccess, an international not-for-profit organization that strengthens health systems in sub-Saharan Africa by improving quality, expanding access, and leveraging digital innovation. Under her leadership, PharmAccess advances its mission to make affordable, quality healthcare accessible to low-income groups through the introduction of standards, the development of health insurance systems, and affordable financing for clinics. A strong advocate for digital transformation, Nicole is shaping the organization’s vision around unlocking the power of data and AI for the public good, ensuring patients are at the centre with agency over their health data and advancing data sovereignty in Africa. Nicole is the founder of SafeCare, an internationally recognized methodology that supports healthcare providers to improve step by step against globally acknowledged (ISQua) quality standards. SafeCare has been adopted by both public and private partners in more than 15 countries across the globe. She also serves on the board of CarePay, a Kenyan-Dutch health technology company, and sits on the advisory boards of EPHiC, a World Bank/IFC initiative promoting ethical standards in healthcare, and ICHOM, the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement. Prior to joining PharmAccess, Nicole served as Director of Clinical Support Services at the Aga Khan Health Services in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and as Assistant Professor at the Aga Khan University. She holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.