Gisela Abbam

Gisela Maame Abbam
Born	Ghana
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, healthcare executive
Years active	2007–present
Known for	First black chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council and British Science Association; board member of Bar Standards Board; senior director at Revvity; former Global Executive Director at General Electric

Gisela Maame Abbam is a Ghanaian-British entrepreneur with extensive involvement in both the private and public domains, focusing primarily on the healthcare industry. She holds the distinction of being the first black individual to chair the General Pharmaceutical Council as well as the first black chairperson of the British Science Association. Additionally, she is a board member of the Bar Standards Board, serves as a commissioner on the National Preparedness Commission, and occupies a senior director position at Revvity. Abbam’s previous roles include serving as a Global Executive Director at General Electric, where she pioneered a global function that generated $600 million in its inaugural year while managing a pipeline valued at $3 billion. Her career also includes tenures at Abt Associates and PerkinElmer, along with advisory roles for entities such as NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).

Her professional journey encompasses partnerships with international organizations like the UN, World Bank, and WTO, as well as collaborations with governments from countries including Turkey, France, and the US. More recently, she played a pivotal role in coordinating a senior delegation from Ukraine to the UK aimed at restoring security and healthcare infrastructure, an effort that earned her recognition through a Ukrainian medal.

Early life and education

Born in Ghana, Abbam is the daughter of H.E Peter Abbam, a diplomat and ambassador, and Eileen Abbam (née Dove), who was a headmistress and descendant of the prominent Dove Family through her father, Sierra Leonean barrister Frans Dove. She completed her secondary education at Wesley Girls' Senior High School, obtained an honours bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Cape Coast, and holds an MBA from Middlesex University.

Career

Abbam currently serves as a Senior Global Executive and Chair of the UK’s General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). She previously held the position of Chair at the British Science Association and sits on multiple boards, including those of the Bar Standards Board, Everywoman, and Briyah Institute. She is also an active member of the committee for the Longitude Prize.

Throughout her career, she has partnered with governments, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations, and the World Bank to advance health outcomes worldwide. Recognized as an authority on global health strategies, Abbam has authored more than 50 white papers on public policy topics and is frequently invited to speak at international forums.

In her early professional years, she contributed to the work of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Joining General Electric Healthcare in 2007 as Head of Government Affairs & Policy for UK & Ireland—the first to hold this role—she later ascended to Global Executive Director for Government Affairs and Policy. There, she founded GE Healthcare’s global government affairs division, directing strategic initiatives for an $18 billion business unit operating across over 100 countries. During her tenure, she was instrumental in generating upwards of £1 billion in new business prospects.

In 2009, Abbam spearheaded a UK campaign focused on early diagnosis that targeted Members of Parliament; this initiative secured direct referral rights for diagnostics by General Practitioners and received backing from then-Prime Minister David Cameron.

She was also the inaugural Chair of the Global Diagnostic Imaging, Healthcare IT & Radiation Therapy Trade Association (DITTA) Global Health Working Group, representing over 600 companies while collaborating closely with WHO and the World Bank.

In 2016, Abbam was selected among 14 experts to serve on a US National Academies of Sciences committee providing guidance to the incoming Trump Administration on matters concerning global health.

Her efforts were critical in negotiating WTO trade policies that removed tariffs on vital medical devices, thereby broadening patient access in more than 80 countries.

Abbam has held leadership roles at Abt Associates as Director of Strategic Partnerships and Company Officer; this organization is renowned for its global research initiatives and innovation in international development.

Known for establishing new executive functions that enhance commercial success, she has also delivered guest lectures at institutions such as University College London and Leeds Business School.

During her tenure as Chair of the British Science Association amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she prioritized promoting public engagement with health sciences grounded firmly in scientific evidence.

Currently presiding over the GPhC Council, she guides strategic planning and governance impacting over 92,000 pharmacy professionals. In June 2025, she convened national roundtable discussions to involve pharmacists actively and unveiled a fresh five-year strategy at an event held at the Houses of Parliament alongside MPs Steve Race and Stephen Kinnock.

Honours and awards

• Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
• Recipient of the Black British Business Person of the Year award
• Recognized as an Iconic Woman Advancing a Better World by the Women Economic Forum
• Named among 100 Women to Watch for FTSE 350 Index Boards by Cranfield
• Designated Global Goodwill Ambassador
• Awarded Honorary Fellowship by the British Science Association