RELIEF FOR HUMAN SUFFERING FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Abi Longe, Director. Abi was highly motivated to join the Relief for Human Suffering Foundation board due to her African roots. Having grown up on the continent, she has a profound appreciation for its vast amount of healthcare inequalities and lack of social welfare. She is extremely passionate about providing for the weak and vulnerable in Africa and other parts of the world. Abi is a highly experienced consultant, inspirational coach, trainer, speaker, and mentor with over 30 years of experience consulting with and working for multi-national companies, including two of the top global audit firms. She is a graduate of the London School of Economics, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, and the Lagos Business School. Abi is very active in promoting the development of women and the potential of young people through her Worthy Woman Club and Productivity Plus initiatives. She's also the very proud mum of 3 young adults, Fis, Ohi, and Tim.
Having been born and raised in Nigeria, living on less than $1 a day, Benson knows first-hand the debilitating impact of health-related human suffering in developing countries. From that humble beginning, he became the first in his family to earn a college education, followed by a successful career in a Fortune 100 company. As a Christian, Benson believes that to whom much is given, much is required and wants to contribute to improving people's lives in Africa and developing countries all over the world. As a result, he founded R4HS Foundation and has pledged up to 10% of his income in addition to volunteering a tremendous amount of his time. Benson graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from Leicester University and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in the UK. Benson is a Biopharm executive with 20-plus years of experience in business and leadership. When not at work, he enjoys several wholesome activities, including traveling, dancing, and real estate investment. Benson is a proud father of 3 awesome children he loves with all his heart.
Craig Sexton, Director. Craig met our founder nearly 20 years ago and was inspired by Benson's journey and mission to help those less fortunate. Craig is the son of medical professionals who has worked in the healthcare delivery system for nearly 30 years, including the last ten in the areas of access and reimbursement. He is passionate about correcting the inequities in healthcare delivery locally and worldwide, which he believes has emerged as a modern-day crisis. Craig strongly believes that the Relief for Human Suffering Foundation is well-positioned to help address the inequities in healthcare that can make all the difference between surviving and thriving, especially in developing countries where resources are scarce. He lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife and three teenage children.
Gary Patry, Director and Secretary. Gary spent his entire career working in the pharmaceutical industry, helping mostly in-need patients including those with HIV, hepatitis, cancer, and COVID-19. Growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts, he was raised as an only child in a middle-class family and overcame many challenges to be the first in his family to attend college, primarily self-funded, He then went on to pursue two master's degrees in virology and business. Despite all of his professional accomplishments, his most significant roles are being a father to his two daughters, Charlotte and Sara, his two stepsons, Connor and Logan, and being a husband to his wife, Aileen.
Matt has 25-plus years of experience in Medtech R & D. His research publications focus on using multi-camera systems and sensors to quantify anatomical motion in 3D. Philips commercialized his work on a novel medical device to provide visualization of CPR. Matt was a professor at UPenn medical school and a co-founder and primary fundraiser for a Medtech incubator. Presently, he is co-founder and Chief Engineer at X-Biomedical, a startup focused on developing technology to democratize surgical microscopy, including eye surgery.
Matt is adjunct faculty at three universities and a hospital. When he is not working, he enjoys traveling with his wife Heather to visit their children and grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Board
Ranjani is very inspired by the Relief for Human Suffering Foundation's mission to prevent avoidable blindness in developing countries. This stems from her father's own upbringing through poverty in India, ultimately becoming a traveling doctor, and the significance of providing resources and support for impoverished people in rural villages to improve their health. She is thrilled now to be contributing towards an organization that strives to give sight to people in the developing world.
Ranjani brings over 20 years of commercial experience in market access and marketing, along with training in health policy and health services research. She is a member of CHIEF, a national executive women's leadership network. She earned a Master's degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and resides in West Chester, PA with her husband and 2 children.