Tewodros Melesse, a 56-year-old Ethiopian, married, father of two girls took over his current function in January 2002.

Tewodros is an economist who studied at the Catholic University in Louvain, Belgium. He has nearly 20 years experience in planning, developing, monitoring, and managing effective large-scale development and Reproductive Health programmes in Africa. After he assumed the directorship of IPPFAR he has overseen the complete refocusing, restructuring, and renewal of the office.
 
 Mr. Melesse began his professional career in Family Planning/Reproductive Health in 1984 as a programme officer with Family Planning International Assistance (FPIA), and subsequently joined IPPFAR also as a programme officer. Before his current assignment with IPPF, he served Pathfinder International in a number of different capacities; he was Assistant Regional Representative, Associate Regional Representative and Country Representative in Ethiopia where he played a leadership role, managing an annual budget of US$4 million and a staff of 25 people.
 
A natural leader with a gift for inspiring others, Mr. Melesse believes firmly that a higher level of responsibility demands more of leadership than just management. Leadership, he believes, requires transparency and vision: transparency to inspire confidence and vision to be looked upon for inspiration.