Izkia Siches Pastén

At only 34, Dr. Izkia Siches Pastén has already shown amazing leadership and enormous potential. In 2017, she became the first woman to hold the national presidency of Chile’s Colegio Médico, a highly influential medical union, in its almost 70-year history—and this January, her diligence and clear messaging on matters of public health helped her win a second three-year term leading the group. She will continue her work as a member of Chile’s COVID-19 Social Roundtable, playing a crucial role in framing an inclusive, nationwide response to the pandemic. Her empathy, capacity and credibility also led to public discussion of a possible presidential run, an option that she has ruled out for the moment. But millions of Chilean voters share her dreams of a modern health service, giving all hope that Izkia is here to stay.

Bachelet is the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and a former President of Chile