Meg French

Meg is the Executive Director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF). Founded 20 years ago, the SLF is a progressive, feminist organization rooted in the principles of social justice and international solidarity, which champions health and human rights alongside more than 90 community-led organizations working on the frontlines of the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

Before joining the Stephen Lewis Foundation in 2020, Meg worked with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) for 17 years. From 2018–2020, she was based in Geneva as the global lead for UNICEF’s Every Child ALIVE Campaign, focussing on newborn and maternal health and survival. She coordinated advocacy, fundraising and public engagement strategies across the organization to engage and influence governments, businesses, and the public.

Before 2018, Meg was Chief Program Officer at UNICEF Canada. There she led communications and programmatic work, and advocacy efforts with the Government of Canada. She also helped establish public/private partnerships in support of maternal and child health and led the launch of a national initiative to improve child and youth well-being in Canada.

Prior to joining UNICEF, Meg was a teacher in Canada and the Marshall Islands. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Trent University in Development Studies and Women’s Studies, and Bachelor and Master of Education degrees from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, specializing in International and Development Education. Meg lives in Toronto with her husband and two teenage daughters.