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Every year, Bill Gates — and, until she left, Melinda French Gates — would hold multiple meetings with executives of the Gates Foundation to approve plans and budgets, and review strategies.
One of the highlights was the annual strategy review meeting, where the two of them listened to employee presentations about how well a program was working and whether adjustments needed to be made to improve their chances of success.
For many, the meeting might be the only direct opportunity to interact with, and impress, Gates and French Gates. Employees also felt the pressure at these meetings to showcase their accomplishments so that they could defend their budgets.