28th July 2017
At its biennial Board meeting held on July 28, 2017 in San Francisco, Dr. Rosy Pereira, Chair of the Nomination/Election Committee, announced the result of the 2017 election: Alex Kalache and MaryAnn Tsao were re-elected and elected, respectively, as Co-Presidents for a three-year term starting at the close of the 2017 Board meeting.
Dr. Kalache, President of ILC Brazil, is a specialist in age-related issues. Specifically, his expertise is in the epidemiology of ageing & the life-course, inter-sectoral policy development (including age-friendly initiatives), health promotion, old-age care, human rights and migration within the context of ageing as well as the more general cultural complexities of the world-wide longevity revolution.
Dr. Kalache has been a leading pioneer in ageing issues for close to forty years in various roles: as academic, international civil servant and advocate. His was one of the very earliest voices to articulate the global nature of population ageing, together with the potentialities and the risks through inaction inherent within it. His contributions toward the shifting of the traditional paradigms in the field of ageing are widely acknowledged on the global stage.
In 2008 he relocated to the USA where he assumed a new position as Senior Policy Adviser on Global Ageing to the President at the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM). He simultaneously commenced the role of Global Ambassador for the London based HelpAge International the largest and most influential worldwide civil society organization on ageing.
Dr. Kalache has a long history of advocacy on the human rights of older persons. He is actively involved in the process toward the adoption of a United Nation’s Convention for the Rights of Older Persons. He has served as a Special Adviser to the Brazilian Secretary of Human Rights, Brazilian Mission to the UN in New York in addition to the International Alliance of NGOs for the Rights of Older Persons. For full description of Dr Kalache’s experience, honors, and awards, please visit http://ilcbrazil.org/president/
Dr. Mary Ann Tsao is President of ILC Singapore and Chairwoman and Founding Director of Tsao Foundation. The Foundation was established in 1993 by her then 86 year old Grandmother to serve the well-being of older people in an inclusive society through innovations in community based health and social service models, training and education, as well as research and advocacy. The Foundation was recently appointed as Asian Development Bank’s first Center of Excellence.” Mary Ann was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2000 and Public Service Star in 2004 for her work on ageing, and Public Service Star (Bar) – BBM(L) – in 2015.
Dr. Tsao serves on numerous boards and committees of governmental and non-profit organizations as well as academic institutions in Singapore, and is a frequent invited speaker at local and international conferences on ageing, philanthropy and family business. She is also a Director for FBN (Family Business Network) Asia, a non-profit association of family businesses committed to business practices that serve as a model of sustainability.
Mary Ann has also served as a technical advisor for numerous multilateral agencies, such as WHO Geneva office’s Ageing and Life Course unit, UNESCAP (UN Economic and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific), ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Secretariat, as well as served on the board of various international agencies on ageing, including London-based HelpAge International, for which she was the Chairwoman from 2002-2004 and is currently one of its ambassadors.
Dr. Tsao is a US trained pediatrician with a public health background, specializing in community and primary care planning, and social medicine. She has extensive experience working with disadvantaged communities in the US and Singapore.
For further information, please visit https://www.ilc-alliance.org/members/ilc-singapore and https://fbnasia.org/en/mary-ann-tsao/
Photo: From left: Dr. Alex Kalache, Baroness Sally Greengross (former Co-President) and Dr. Mary Ann Tsao.
A Shared Vision for Global Longevity of Rayne and Susana (newly elected Co-Presidents)
It is a profound honour to serve as Co-Presidents of the International Longevity Centre Global Alliance. Our partnership reflects the very spirit of the Alliance: global in reach, grounded in local realities, and united by a shared commitment to dignity, equity, and wellbeing across the life course.
27th January 2026
VNRs of HLPF at the UN: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Voluntary national reviews (VNRs) were held at High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) from 14 to 24 July 2025, UN, New York. Each State shared Experiences and Lessons on the 2030 Agenda and SDGs implementation.
24th July 2025
The Intersectionality of Ageism & Sexism: Harnessing The Power of Older Women
During the 2025 UN High Level Political Forum, the ILC Global Alliance and partners hosted a side event to address the intersection of ageism and sexism, advocating for a UN convention to protect the rights of older persons.
16 July 2025
