posted on 10/23/2018 7:06:00 AM

The International AIDS Society (IAS) is pleased to welcome Helga Ying as the Head of Local Office for the 23rd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2020).  In this position, Helga oversees the management, administration, and reporting of the local offices in San Francisco and Oakland.

Helga’s career experience spans the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She has worked for more than 25 years in the areas of government affairs and public policy, corporate social responsibility, community affairs and philanthropy, crisis and external communications, and stakeholder engagement.  Helga served as a legislative aide to US Senator Ted Kennedy on labour and human rights, before becoming a Director at Business for Social Responsibility, a non-profit organization that works with businesses on sustainability and social impact issues. She then went into the private sector, spending thirteen years as Senior Director of Worldwide Government Affairs and Public Policy at Levi Strauss & Co. and five years as Vice President of External Engagement and Social Responsibility at American Eagle Outfitters.

Helga has a long record in working to reduce the global impact of HIV. She started a CEO-led initiative, in partnership with UNAIDS and the Global Business Coalition on Health, to combat HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay, and residence. She also developed Levi Strauss & Co.’s 2006 Clinton Global Initiative to provide a comprehensive HIV/AIDS treatment and care program to the company’s employees and dependents worldwide. In addition, for the past seven years, Helga has served on the Board of Directors of FHI360, a leading international development organization that works with key populations and community institutions to reduce HIV transmission and improve care and treatment.

“I am honoured and excited to join the conference secretariat to organize the most successful International AIDS Conference ever in the San Francisco Bay Area.” Helga said. “More than ever, this is an important time to work together to end this epidemic.”