Palo Alto, Ca., USA - April 15, 2009, Palo Alto, Ca., USA - Jeff Skoll, founder and chairman of the Skoll Foundation and Participant Media, announced that he has hired Larry Brilliant as president of a new organization Skoll is launching.
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Mr. Brilliant served a three-year stint as the first executive director of Google.org, the company's philanthropic arm before becoming chief philanthropy evangelist for Google. He is an M.D. and M.P.H., board-certified in preventive medicine, epidemiology and public health. Mr. Brilliant was one of a four-person international team that led the successful World Health Organization smallpox eradication program in India and South Asia.
Mr. Brilliant founded the Seva Foundation of Berkeley, California, which works in dozens of countries around the world to eliminate preventable and curable blindness. Seva's projects have given back sight to nearly 3 million people. Last year, Time magazine named Brilliant one of the 20 most influential scientists and thinkers and one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Mr. Brilliant co-founded The Well, a pioneering virtual community, with Stewart Brand in 1985. He also holds a telecom systems patent and has served as CEO of public and venture-backed technology companies.
Mr. Brilliant was a professor of international health and epidemiology at the University of Michigan. Mr. Brilliant has authored two books, including The Management of Smallpox Eradication in India, and dozens of scientific articles on infectious diseases, blindness, and international health policy. He is currently writing a book for Harper-Collins on the world's most urgent threats and how to fight them.
Also in 2008, Mr. Brilliant was given a Global Leadership Award by the United Nations Organization. In 2006, he received the TED Prize. Mr. Brilliant was named "International Public Health Hero" by the University of California in 2004. Larry worked in India for WHO for more than 10 years, on smallpox, blindness and polio. ■