Dr Rüdiger Krech is the Director for Health Promotion at the World Health Organization. He leads WHO’s work on tobacco and alcohol control, physical activity and enhanced wellbeing; and the programs on public health law and fiscal policies for health. Rüdiger has previously been directing the work on health systems and universal health coverage, and he has been instrumental in developing the public health work on social determinants of health. Before joining WHO, he was leading Germany’s development work on social protection. His distinguished career is guided by his vision for the role of global health in societal development.