Dr Jemilah Mahmood is a medical professional with more than two decades experience managing crises in health, disasters and conflict settings. She is currently Professor and Director of the newly established Sunway Centre for Planetary Health in Malaysia.

Mahmood was the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia on Public Health and a member of the Government of Malaysia’s Economic Action Council and Climate Action Council.

Her previous appointments include the Under Secretary General for Partnerships at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Chief of the World Humanitarian Summit secretariat at the United Nations, and Chief of the Humanitarian Response Branch at United National Population Fund. She is the founder of MERCY Malaysia, a southern based international humanitarian organization.

Mahmood was appointed a Senior Fellow of the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Centre in 2020. She is currently on the board of the Employees Provident Fund of Malaysia and ALAM Foundation.