Ambassador Karl Hofmann was named President and CEO of Population Services International (PSI) in February 2007.

PSI is the world’s largest social marketing firm, a Washington DC-based nonprofit company operating in more than 60 countries around the world. With programs in malaria, reproductive health, child survival and HIV prevention, PSI promotes products, services and healthy behaviors that enable low-income and vulnerable people to lead healthier lives.

In 2007 alone, PSI helped prevent 19 million malaria episodes and 140,000 malaria deaths; 2.6 million unintended pregnancies; 3.8 million cases of diarrhea; and 156,000 new HIV infections.
Since Ambassador Hofmann assumed leadership of the company, PSI has been awarded the largest single grant ever for reproductive health work, from a private U.S. foundation, and garnered nearly $1 billion from the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to fight these diseases in 33 countries. PSI’s 2008 operating revenue was approximately $400 million.

In Ambassador. Hofmann’s first year as President and CEO, PSI won an unprecedented second Social Capitalist Award by Fast Company magazine. The award recognizes non-profits who use the tools of business to solve the world’s most pressing social problems – ranging from substandard healthcare in developing nations to unequal education access, homelessness, unemployment and substance abuse in the United States – and who have demonstrated a consistent and unusually large impact on society.

PSI was also lauded in 2007 by Givewell (www.givewell.net) as the most efficient saver of lives in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ambassador Hofmann is steering PSI on its ambitious plan to double its health impact by 2012. Under his leadership, the organization is on target to achieve that goal.

Prior to joining PSI, Ambassador Hofmann was a career American diplomat for 23 years. He served as United States Ambassador to the Republic of Togo, Executive Secretary of the Department of State, and Deputy Chief of Mission (senior career diplomat) at the American Embassy in Paris. Ambassador Hofmann also served on President Clinton’s National Security Council staff.

Currently Ambassador Hofmann serves on the board of the Washington DC-based Global Leadership Campaign.

Ambassador Hofmann is the recipient of the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award, Superior Honors Awards, and Meritorious Honor Awards. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and the National Defense University.

Ambassador Hofmann’s years of living and working in Africa and the Caribbean (he also served in Morocco, Rwanda and Jamaica) have given him a deep understanding of development issues, including public health, especially HIV/AIDS. His languages are French, Spanish and German.