Christian Ntizimira is the Founder and Executive Director of ACREOL Global, a nonprofit advancing culturally grounded models of palliative and end‑of‑life care across Africa. He graduated in medicine from the University of Rwanda and trained in palliative care at Harvard Medical School’s Global Health & Social Medicine department; he is also a Fulbright Scholar and Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership alumnus. At ACREOL, Ntizimira has championed integration of palliative care into national health systems and developed culturally relevant care frameworks that improve quality of life for patients with life‑threatening illnesses.
He pioneered programs that trained over a thousand health workers in palliative care principles, leading to significant increases in access to essential pain management and end‑of‑life support. Ntizimira has advised multiple governments on palliative care policy, authored “The Safari Concept: An African Framework for End‑of‑Life Care,” and received the Tällberg‑Stavros Niarchos Foundation‑Eliasson Global Leadership Prize for his advocacy and systemic impact across low‑ and middle‑income countries.
The 100 CEOs featured here reflect the diversity and complexity of modern oncology leadership. In 2025, some lead the world’s largest cancer institutions; others guide specialized societies or emerging innovators. What unites them is responsibility: for millions of patients, for the integrity of science, and for the future direction of cancer care globally.
This list is not a celebration of power, but a recognition of stewardship, accountability, and impact – and of the leaders whose choices continue to shape the fight against cancer. For the many deserving individuals not mentioned in this list, we will continue to acknowledge, honor and elevate your voices in our daily publications from across the world.
See the full list of The 100 Influential CEOs in Oncology in 2025 and stay tuned for other special category nominations
